VLK Architects and Hutto ISD Sign the Final Steel Beam of the New Gus Almquist Middle School
(Hutto, TX) - On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, VLK Architects joined Hutto ISD for the beam signing ceremony of the district’s new middle school campus. This will be the third middle school in Hutto ISD named after former Hutto ISD Board President and community leader, Gus Almquist.
“It was a pleasure honoring the Almquist family at today’s beam signing ceremony,” said Tim Kunz, Principal at VLK Architects. “Their inscriptions, along with many others, will be a part of this building forever. VLK is grateful to support teaching and learning in Hippo Nation and looks forward to seeing future students thrive in their new middle school.”
Gus Almquist Middle School is designed to be a comprehensive, two-story building to support 1,200 students. The campus will include classroom, fine arts, CTE, and athletics spaces.
Utilizing VLK's stakeholder input process, VLK | LAUNCH®, the project team worked with district leadership, students, and community members to develop a unique design to fit the needs of this growing community. The design for this school promotes innovation and paves the way for student success through the use of a centralized courtyard for enhanced outdoor learning. The location of collaboration spaces can double as cafeteria overflow, while science, art, and CTE programs have immediate outdoor adjacency for project learning. The library is located on the upper level with spill-out tiered seating to form an arena for esports, lectures, and presentations.
"We are grateful to be a part of a community that really embraces our vision of where we want to be as a school district," said Dr. Estrada Thomas, Superintendent of Hutto ISD. "We strive to be a district of innovation looking to the future where learning needs to be, and this is what this building symbolizes."
The design concept developed for Gus Almquist Middle School reinforces the mission of Hippo Nation: Inspire excellence in academics, character, and community. The learning environments have been designed with scalability and transparency to build trust and independence, but also be safe and comfortable for all users of the building. The campus is scheduled to open its doors in fall 2024.