Bel Air Middle School

Project description

Bel Air Middle School was designed as a state-of-the-art “21st Century” Learning Environment, with STEM labs, Visual and Performing Arts, and full support for all Athletics. This new middle school campus will accommodate 800 students and was built as a Transition to Life Career Center (TLCC) with core capacity for growth to 1,200 students. With its welcoming state-of-the-art site solution, the outdoor plazas and courtyards take advantage of the favorable year-round climate of West Texas and with the landscaped outdoor spaces providing strong sense of place, the building architecture is simply expressed.

The exterior amphitheater and semi covered outdoor areas allow for an ideal place to foster 21st Century learning principles and allow for teachers and students to see what nature will teach them that day and give students an interactive environment in which to learn and apply real-world skills. Interior collaborative learning spaces were designed to maximize student collaboration and engagement that promotes group work and student directed learning.

Empty hallways are large common areas, libraries are media centers, and computer labs are makerspaces. Classrooms spaces can be opened and allow for larger learning environment and interaction between classrooms. The new gymnasium and play fields facilitate everything that is needed from physical education classes to competitive athletic team play. From a brand-new football/soccer field surrounded by high performance running track surface to the new baseball/softball field to the new outdoor competition tennis and basketball courts, the two interior basketball gyms allow for great competition play. With its wood flooring, side-folding goals, and retractable bleachers, it allows for open practice area and indoor physical education classes and allow for comfortable spectator seating with great view to the courts during play. Bel Air Middle school was designed to provide students a strong sense of community and enjoyable outdoor areas during and after school.