Videos highlight progress on concepts for new Furr, Sharpstown high schools

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/82012862/ w=320&h=205]

HISD released two videos Tuesday that showcase the progress in the planning and design of Furr and Sharpstown high schools, which are being rebuilt under the district’s 2012 $1.89 billion bond program.

The video featuring Furr High School highlights work that is being done on the project advisory team, the collaboration with the architect and community input on the project. Preliminary drawings of what the campus could look like include flexible learning spaces with sustainable touches like repurposed wood from the current campus gymnasium.

“I see growth and expansion (ahead),” said Carl Johnson, who graduated from Furr in 1966. “Because when you see this building and what’s being put inside of it, I think people are going to come from across the city just to be part of Furr High School.”

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/80833545/ w=320&h=205]

The Sharpstown video showcases how active students and the community at large have been in planning for the new campus. Schematic drawings are also featured, which show a “mall theme” concept.

“This design is the result of a conversation with the community of Sharpstown that has involved everybody – from students to teachers to administrators – working together to establish the foundation of a design that will reflect the hopes and aspirations of this community,” said Henry Munoz, CEO of Munoz and Co. architects.

Students, along with their fellow Project Advisory Team members at 24 schools, have spent hundreds of hours over the last few months collaborating in meetings and workshops to help guide the design direction for these projects. The new schools will be sustainable 21st century learning environments with the flexibility and infrastructure to support various types of learning and technology.

The new videos are part of ongoing effort by the district to document the work being done at each bond campus. More videos will be released in the coming weeks, and features on each school’s homepage, as well as the district’s bond website and on HISDTV.