Hurricane Harvey ravaged Houston and left a devastating mark on nearly everything it touched. In four days, 100- and 500-year-flood maps were rendered obsolete. The floodwaters had barely receded when Houston ISD determined that four neighborhood schools had to be razed and rebuilt: Braeburn, Kolter, Mitchell and Scarborough—aka the “Harvey Schools.”

HISD anticipated FEMA funding would cover most costs but waiting meant extended displacement for students and staff. So they decided to commit funds up front to speed up the process and design a prototype that could be used for all four schools. The Pfluger team had to work quickly while also navigating ever-evolving regulations that sometimes changed from one day to the next.

New site planning regulations went beyond mitigation and retention to include strict conveyance requirements, and each site presented unique challenges to meet the new regulations. The four sites varied in size, location, grading and accessibility. However, the common thread was their locations on floodplains. All four schools would need to be raised up to 7 feet above grade to stay above the floodplain and allow the water to convey beneath the structure.

The district didn’t want the upkeep of underfloor spaces to allow for the water conveyance, so the solution was an open mesh that complied with the new code. The mesh panels of varying heights were attached to the perimeter grade beams, with access panels. The mesh allows water to flow under the buildings but keeps out most debris and small animals. Retaining walls were then combined with the adjusted grades around the school to direct water in the appropriate path of travel. Conveyance solved. However, raising the entire building above grade created another challenge: making an elementary school feel grounded perched 7 feet in the air.

The design team approached the projects mathematically, practically and aesthetically.

• Mathematically, the team had to balance cut and fill because the new mitigation code required the average grade to remain as it had been before Harvey. So they could only build up on the site with what had been removed somewhere else on the site.
• Practicality dictated that the driveways had to be elevated to the raised building as much as reasonably possible, which meant ramps would be required.
• Aesthetically, the designs needed to look appropriate for their neighborhoods.

Inside, district program requirements called for extensive flexibility to accommodate evolving pedagogies and multiple approaches to education delivery. The concept has classrooms hugging the perimeter of the building, providing daylight and views of the outdoors. The internal circulation creates space for various learning activities and includes an integrated, decentralized library, next-generation collaboration spaces and individual reading nooks.

Design: Pfluger Architects
Design Team: Michelle Dudley, Merri Salazar
Contractor: Satterfield & Pontikes
Photography: Ayala Vargas