Rapid population growth made it necessary for Denton Independent School District (ISD) to open three elementary schools – including one within a year of bond passage.

That urgency set the pace, but a collaborative visioning process set the tone for a reimagined elementary school model. The resulting design is a unified core anchored by a central hub where library, dining, and courtyard converge. No silos. No destinations. Just one fluid, flexible zone where learning moves freely across classrooms and grade levels – with shared energy and momentum. Though the three elementary schools share a common layout – centered on visibility, safety, and flexibility – each responds to its own site and community.

The district aligned learning goals with space – testing layouts, walking full-scale plans, and studying how instruction moved through the day. The outcome wasn’t a wing of classrooms or a chain of destinations. The layout supports shared teaching strategies and adaptable learning environments where students and teachers benefit from flexible spaces that encourage autonomy, teamwork, and interaction across programs. Classrooms and programs radiate out from this heart of the school, creating clear sightlines, encouraging movement, and supporting different styles of learning. It’s a shared core designed for movement and connection – open, accessible, and centered on community. The building doesn’t divide by grade; it opens to possibility.

A partnership with CMTA engineers resulted in performance-focused, energy efficient school buildings for Denton ISD. The goal was to reach an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 20 or less – a significant leap, as the district’s most efficient campuses at the time averaged between 23 and 24. The campus design is a compact, two-story layout that reduces exposed surface area and improves efficiency. Martinez Elementary School took it a step further with prefabricated wall panels built off-site by Baker Prefab, that were delivered ready to install. Working in a controlled environment helped maintain quality and precision, reducing variability and supporting the level of airtightness that’s difficult to achieve with traditional framing. Once completed, the building underwent pressure testing, where Martinez Elementary recorded the tightest envelope results CMTA engineers had ever seen (Martinez Elementary reached 0.074 cfm/sf @ 75 pascals). Because Denton ISD focused on performance from the very beginning, the district now qualifies for Clean Energy Tax Credits through Elective Pay that will help support future capital investments.

Design: Pfluger Architects
Design Team: Isabel Corsino, Chad Martin, Tony Schmitz, Casey Mirau
Contractor: Balfour Beatty
Photography: Wade Griffith