Learning on display

Johnson High School

Hays Consolidated Independent School District (Hays CISD) wanted a new facility that focused on career technical education (CTE)—and that was Johnson High School. The heart of our design is learning on display. What’s that mean? We organized career tech spaces along the school’s main corridor to support visibility and underscore importance. Furthermore, flexible corridors and breakout spaces encourage group project work and promote collaboration, engagement, and cross-disciplinary interaction.

Keeping in mind district safety and security concerns, we built vertically instead of horizontally, helping to reduce the number of exterior entrances around the building. The compact building footprint and efficient exterior also contributed to a reduction in energy consumption and cost for Hays CISD.

Creative use of circulation increases the area dedicated to student learning. The main classroom spaces are located on levels two and three and are broken into three main sections: the 9th grade center, the science labs, and the 10th through 12th grade classrooms. Teacher work areas and breakout spaces are dispersed throughout levels two and three.

This new high school allows the district to provide an integrated approach to their growing CTE program.