CAST Tech High School
BUILDINGS C & D
Services Provided: Interior Design | FF&E | Occupancy Logistics | Reconfiguration
Project Budget: $12M
Sqft: 50,000
Brief:
CAST network visionary and philanthropist Charles Butt asked us to have his first school (CAST Tech) open essentially 12 months from the inception of his idea. A tall order considering that the original construction of SAISD’s old Fox Tech campus took place in the late 1800s and now we had 12 months to turn it into what it is today. The CAST Tech build was the true definition of the word disruptive. It was the most aggressive and fascinating construction schedule and approach we have ever been a part of. It didn't just mean everybody worked longer and faster. We had to figure out how to change the way the job site ran in order to get 16 months’ worth of work done in nine months. We made deadlines and helped create a space that works hand-in-hand with industry partners preparing students for careers and technology and business fields. This year, over 71% of seniors in the inaugural graduating class of CAST Tech have been accepted to 4-year colleges, bucking a citywide trend of fewer than 50%.
Website: https://castschools.com/cast-tech/
"This space brings industry involvement and resources directly face to face with the students in a way which had never been done before.”
How we came in clutch.
One of the biggest impacts we made in CAST Med was helping an architect, who had only designed traditional schools, break the model of what a school should look like. We helped him understand how to resize all the classrooms, how to pack technology in each of them in a new way. Together we created an adaptable environment that allowed SAISD’s brand-new program the flexibility to evolve into the industry partner it is today.
