WEST OSO HIGH SCHOOL

Location: Corpus Christi, Texas

Owner: West Oso Independent School District

This new high school serves a predominately minority, working class neighborhood. The high school serves as defacto community center, and is the center of activities well beyond academics and sports. The design is intended to capture daylight and offer an open and welcome orientation in an area where public buildings require a high-security perimeter.  To achieve this objective, the design is ordered around a secure courtyard into which the library and cafetorium extend and open with three fenestrated sides.  In addition each classroom has north or south facing windows – those facing inward to the courtyard have low sills for view, those outward have high sills for security.  Corridors have open vistas at each end for daylight, security and orientation.  Broad wedge-profile massing emphasizes the horizontality of the composition. *Richter Architects - Design Architect/WKMC Architects - Architect of Record

2009 TASA/TASB Award for Design/Value/Public Participation