HISD’s Bond Oversight Committee got a detailed look Tuesday at progress being made under the 2012 bond program to develop innovative 21st century learning environments.
“We fully intend to push the envelope much further than it’s been pushed,” said HISD’s General Manager of Facilities Planning Sue Robertson. She told the nine-member committee that the hallmarks of 21st century schools include flexible spaces that encourage collaboration and hands-on learning.
As the architects working under the district 2012 bond program start designing new schools, their goal will be to create 21st century, sustainable schools.
What that means precisely was the focus of discussion Monday at a half-day ‘Sustaining Momentum’ workshop, which laid out the goals and expectations of the district as it moves forward with the $1.89 billion bond program, which will build or replace 40 schools across the city.
See how the district is planning and designing 21st century learning spaces that prepare students for college and careers. It’s an effort that involves parents, students and community leaders.
Elvis Eaglin, senior manager in Procurement, oversees the transfer of RFQs in January.
HISD’s 2012 bond program garnered unprecedented attention from architectural and engineering firms when the district asked for qualifications last December to design 40 schools slated for renovation or construction.
A total of 85 firms responded by the Jan. 15, 2013 deadline, giving the district a diverse pool of choices as it began selecting firms for the first 24 schools, plus renovations for middle school restrooms and athletic facilities.
Small business owners will get a chance to learn about the surety bonding process and applying for a bond from 3 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 at HISD’s Workshop Wednesday.
Editor’s note: This is the third in an occasional series of profiles on minority or women-owned companies that do business with HISD. The district’s minimum M/WBE goal levels are 20 percent for all levels of purchasing and construction, and 25 percent for professional services. In the 2007 bond program, that commitment reached nearly 34 percent. In the 2012 program, the contracts awarded to date reflect a nearly 51 percent M/WBE commitment.
Berry Elementary School, built under the 2007 bond program, has earned LEED Silver certification.
Water-collection systems, recyclable materials and healthier learning and teaching spaces are among the topics to be discussed at HISD’s “Sustaining Momentum” workshop for architect and engineering teams working under the 2012 bond program.
Ideas shared during the half-day workshop on Monday, July 29, will help district officials set sustainability goals for schools under the $1.89 billion construction program, which will replace or rebuild 40 schools across the city.
Atherton Elementary, seen in its early stages of construction, is scheduled to open for students in August.
All schools under HISD’s $1.89 billion 2012 bond program will be built with the same consistency and quality thanks to the district’s Construction and Design Guidelines, created to give architects and designers requirements for their work on bond campuses.
“It’s a guide for the architects to give them the minimum things we expect in the design of the buildings,” said Dan Bankhead, HISD’s General Manager of Facilities Design.
About 25 business owners learned about the importance of M/WBE certification at HISD’s monthly Workshop Wednesday held July 10.
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“Being certified has been really valuable for our work,” said Courtney Harper, panelist and owner of the architecture firm of Courtney Harper + Partners. “It’s opened doors and I’ve been able to get my foot in at great institutions.” Continue reading
Temporary buildings are being removed at McReynolds Middle School.
For many schools built under HISD’s 2007 bond program, temporary buildings used for storage and instruction space were part of the construction process.
Now, as the district moves forward with the $1.89 billion 2012 bond program, HISD officials are looking at ways to minimize the use of T-buildings to maximize the amount of money available for new facilities.