GSRA’s North Lake College General Purpose Building G, which opened for the Fall semester of 2009, has been recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability by the Texas Association of School Administrators and Texas Association of School Boards in their 2012 Exhibit of School Architecture that takes place at their annual convention. The various criteria by which schools are judged includes excellence in sustainability, value, design, innovation, educational appropriateness and process of planning.
Fulfilling the campus vision for a prominent and sustainable gateway, General Purpose Building G weaves together three (3) distinct College departments over a challenging topography and program. Visual/Performing Arts, Liberal Arts and Campus Administration intertwine in a three-story, high performance expression of a compact hillside village. This high tech facility expands the campus’ animation, video technology, art and computer graphics course capabilities while providing an inspiring administrative suite for staff operations and alumni events.
Extensive roof gardens, a ‘Dry Creek Bed’ repurposed from demolished concrete, native xeriscaping and low-flow plumbing fixtures contribute to make the facility a teaching tool for water conservation. All irrigation comes from captured rainwater. High performance features include maximum daylight harvesting, ENERGY STAR roofing, regional materials within 500-mile radius, and low-emitting indoor materials.
From the sustainable elements to the careful use of materials, this durable, yet refined facility demonstrates that education is not only within the classroom, but also in the surrounding environment, providing educators areas to explore topics and students the opportunity to discover the immediate world within their school.
About the Caudill and Criteria Awards
The Caudill and Criteria Awards are given annually at the TASA/TASB Convention in honor of William Caudill, FAIA, and his distinctive, innovative achievements in the architectural field. The School Exhibit of Architecture Competition is a collaborative project of the Texas Association of School Administrators, the Texas Association of School Boards and the Texas Society of Architects that highlights new public educational construction and renovation projects in Texas that have taken place over the past five years, and acknowledges excellence in the planning and design of Texas public education facilities.
