La Vernia Intermediate School

Client: La Vernia ISD
Completion Date: 2008
Construction Cost: $13,416,733
Services: Planning, Design, Construction Administration
TASA/TASB Awards: Design, Educational Appropriateness
Accolades: Golden Trowel Award - San Antonio Masonry Contractors Association

La Vernia ISD’s new intermediate school is situated on naturally sloping terrain in between an existing primary school and high school campuses. The factors impacting the site
development included relieving traffic congestion along a busy adjacent public road, as well as flood control, and terrain. As a response, the building was kept to as small a foot print as
possible and was placed on higher ground, in close proximity to the existing primary school.
The exterior of the building features a varied and vibrant masonry color scheme as well as a crisp, contemporary porch form to signify entry points. The floor plan is characterized by a 2-story academic block separated from the rest of the building by a monumental ramp and stairway area. The major spaces are arranged around wide main street with noisy programs such as gym and dining on one side and administrative and library on the other side. The 2-story academic block serving grades 3, 4 and 5 utilizes an inner-loop spun off the main street to increase plan efficiency. The main street incorporates a series of ramps to allow the building to drop down and follow the slope of the natural terrain. The result is a very compact footprint that makes for shorter trips for students to everyday activities and is more easily monitored by staff.
Bay provided pre-bond planning services to aid LVISD in a successful bond campaign, which resulted in this new intermediate school, additions and renovations to the district junior high school, additions and renovations to the primary school and a new district-wide auditorium/gymnasium complex.