Home > Andrew Vernooy > David Driskill, AIA > Runnels School 

or

Runnels School

From TTU College of Architecture

Summer 2001-2002: CDL Funded Research ($3,500)

Contents 1 Project Manager/Principal Investigator: 2 Research assistants: 3 Fall 2001-Spring 2002:ARCH Studio 5605/Service Learning 4 Students: 5 Client: 6 Project Description:

Project Manager/Principal Investigator:

Ben K. Shacklette, AIA

Research assistants:

Brent Wright

Fall 2001-Spring 2002:ARCH Studio 5605/Service Learning

Students:

Yancey Powers and Giovann Aguilar

Client:

Crossroads Housing

Project Description:

The original Runnels School building, designed by noted architect Henry C. Trost, has served the Big Spring community for over sixty years. Recently abandoned the property has fallen into disrepair and is currently being used for overflow storage by the Big Spring school system. Working in collaboration with Crossroads Housing the CDL developed an adaptive reuse scheme that would renovate the school building to accommodate a transitional housing facility for use by the Veterans Administration.

After an onsite survey and evaluation of existing conditions a design scheme was developed that included the subdivision of existing classrooms into individual living apartments and new activity areas for continuing education and support services. Important considerations in the design scheme were compliance with current codes, construction costs, mechanical systems upgrades, and new construction that modernized the interior spaces while preserving the existing historical character of the Runnels School building, particularly the exterior facade and site, as an important visual anchor within a threatened neighborhood.