Episcopal High School’s New Student Center Provides Something for Everyone
Studio RED recently completed Episcopal High School’s new cutting-edge student center. The new facility is part of a major renovation of the 35-acre campus the northeast corner of Loop 610 at Bissonnet in Bellaire. The co-educational high school has been a staple in the Houston community since 1983 and continues to grow and expand. Studio RED recreated the existing Underwood Student Center, resulting in a flexible, progressive, world class facility to support growth of over 800 students. The project provides additional space for students to gather for study, fellowship, meals, meetings, and extracurricular activities.
Episcopal High School has been serving the Houston community since 1983, and the new center allows them to continue attracting and educating some of the top minds in Houston. The unique student center offers a wide range of spaces for students, ranging from a dining hall to interactive STEM learning spaces. These areas will prepare students for success not just educationally, but professionally as they learn to problem solve and collaborate with others.
To achieve this vision, the existing Underwood Student Center and Alkek Gym, the oldest facilities on campus dating back to the 1950s, will be demolished. The existing servery and kitchen will be renovated to accommodate the new facility program. A new dining space accommodates 500 students and staff and is comprised of traditional and casual seating options to reflect a modern student culture equivalent to higher education atmospheres.
Because the Student Center is more than a dining facility, spaces accommodate art exhibits, theater, STEM learning, maker spaces, study areas, and faculty offices. A coffee shop is also included as an amenity to students and faculty. A large public plaza links the Student Center with the adjacent Trotter Academic Building and Hildebrand Athletic Center. The design and positioning of the project knits together older and newer areas of the campus, establishing a hub for student life, circulation, and activity.
