The St. Michael Project was actually a number of “projects” – culminating in the re-building of the entire campus infrastructure. Initiated in 2008, the building program started with formal church-wide surveys with resultant facilities and site programming. Our firm designed and administered the digital surveys, presented the data at various fund-raising gatherings, and formalized programming for each of the facilities designated for renovation or replacement in the building program.
Our firm then proceeded with the next phase of the St. Michael Project, a 75,000 square-foot school for 500 students, ages 3 to 14 years (pre-pre-kindergarten through the 8th grade). The new school incorporates a small existing two-story middle-school, renovating and upgrading the facilities, changing the specific functions of each room, while incorporating state-of-the-art equipment and sustainable / community -friendly design sensitivity. Our firm produced the new facility utilizing “BIM” to achieve a “certified” level utilizing the LEED for Schools (version 2.0) rating system. The school is the first in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to attempt LEED certification. The school design also incorporates a new “central plant”, a mechanical plant for the entire campus, incorporating state-of-the-art digital controls that can be locally and remotely monitored. New full-size football, soccer, softball, and baseball fields enable an expanded sports program, while a new performing arts hall hots a full-range of physical-education and artistic-education programs.
The new school is designed to maintain the general appearance of the main campus, incorporating the same masonry colors and patterns that were utilized on the sanctuary and adjacent campus buildings. The current school had to remain in operation while the new facility was being constructed. Upon completion of the new facilities, the existing school was demolished, and new parking facilities were constructed to complete this phase of the St. Michael “project”.