Skip to main content
Start of main content

Seizing green opportunities

At a Glance

  • 800

    Students

  • 105K+

    Square Feet

  • LEED

    Certified Gold

Location
Spring, Texas
Offices
Client
  • Spring Independent School District
Awards
American School & University Architectural Portfolio, William W. Caudill Citation
TASA/TASB Awards, Caudill Award
American School & University Educational Interiors, Silver Citation

Gloria Marshall Elementary School

What started as a school re-site design became one of the greenest elementary schools in Texas—without adding any costs to the district’s capital budget. Early planning conversations led to a two-story, high-performance school, which is now reporting energy savings of over 50%.

This is the first school in Houston to use geothermal heating and cooling, and it’s certified LEED Gold. Every classroom on campus can operate with only natural light 75% of the time—even the south-facing rooms, which take advantage of daylight harvesting.

The school also includes an on-site wind turbine, 10 kilowatts of roof-mounted photovoltaic cells (which will convert sunlight directly into electricity), a butterfly garden along a walking trail, and an underground cistern that collects rainwater from the roof to flush toilets and urinals.

Trees from the existing site were reused in the building as benches, a treehouse, and conference room tables. Not only is sustainability part of the physical building, it’s also integrated into the curriculum of the school through the use of web-based, interactive learning tools.

At a Glance

  • 800

    Students

  • 105K+

    Square Feet

  • LEED

    Certified Gold

Location
Spring, Texas
Offices
Client
  • Spring Independent School District
Awards
American School & University Architectural Portfolio, William W. Caudill Citation
TASA/TASB Awards, Caudill Award
American School & University Educational Interiors, Silver Citation

Meet Our Team

Tracy Eich, Senior Principal, Texas Design Leader

Architecture at its core is problem solving—but at its essence, it’s also a form of behavioral science, and the quality of the spaces we create affects the human spirit.

Tracy Eich

Senior Principal, Texas Design Leader

We’re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

End of main content
To top