(Fort Worth, Texas) —VLK is proud to announce the Allen ISD’s STEAM Center received the Caudill Award, the highest honor in the TASA/TASB Exhibit of School Architecture (EoSA) competition.

The jury noted the design of the Allen STEAM Center stood out due to its “innovation that solved community needs and enrollment growth while looking to the horizon for determining future student interests and skills” and how the “total shift in culture occurred with an explosion of STEAM interest across the district” (TASAnet.org). Allen STEAM was also the only project in the EoSA Competition that received all Six Stars of Distinction awards.

“The Allen ISD STEAM Center is a unique facility that empowers our students to engage in experiential learning. From the tranquil outdoor trails and pond, the hands-on makerspace labs, and the carefully planned science labs and classrooms, the STEAM Center provides our students the opportunity to engage in future-focused STEAM lessons and activities,” said Robin Bullock, Superintendent of Allen ISD. “We are proud to have partnered with VLK throughout the design process to create our one-of-a-kind facility that is helping build innovative and collaborative skillsets for all students.”

“We are so proud to have received the Caudill Award in recognition of this incredible project,” said Sloan Harris, CEO | Partner of VLK Architects. “Our team’s exploration and research in what this facility could be founded the design that became real innovation in a learning environment, centered around Allen ISD’s bold vision for this one-of-a-kind school. We are grateful for the partnership with Allen ISD and to be a part of this project.”

The Allen ISD STEAM Center design provides a foundational system, purposely created to promote curiosity, cultivate future-ready skills, and prepare students for success. The center offers specialized areas such as engineering and robotics labs, computer labs with maintenance programs, science and physics labs, math-specific classrooms, and architecture and interior design studios. Collaboration areas, shared spaces, and huddle rooms are situated throughout the facility to provide various places for group projects. The Allen STEAM Center also recently received a Merit Award at the 2020 AIAFW Excellence in Architecture: Design Awards.

Texas architect William Wayne Caudill (1914-1983) is the namesake for the award. TASA and TASB facilitate Caudill Award at the Exhibit of School Architecture (EoSA) competition. Each project can receive up to six Stars of Distinction to qualify for the Caudill Award. Stars of Distinction are awarded based on the project’s design, value, sustainability, community, planning, and school transformation.

About Allen ISD: The Allen Independent School District serves the rapidly growing city of Allen, Texas, a suburban community located 23 miles north of Dallas. Student enrollment has more than doubled since 1989, bringing the current number of students to more than 20,780 in grades K-12. Students attend one of 18 elementary schools, three middle schools, one freshman center, and one high school.

About the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA): TASA is the professional association for Texas school administrators, providing networking and professional learning opportunities, legislative advocacy, and targeted communications to support the work of superintendents and other school leaders.

About the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB): is an association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts represented serves approximately 5.3 million students. TASB’s mission is to promote educational excellence for Texas schoolchildren through advocacy, visionary leadership, and high-quality services to school districts.

About the Exhibit of School Architecture: The Exhibit of School Architecture awards are given at the discretion of a 12-member jury (four school board members, four administrators, two representatives from the Texas Society of Architects and two representatives from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE)). The Caudill Award winners were chosen from among 27 projects awarded Stars of Distinction.