The expansion of the facility is comprised of 44k square feet of new construction, 58k square feet of renovation.
Kirksey Architecture proudly announces the completion of the expansion and renovation of Dallas Independent School District’s Charmaine & Robert Price Career Institute.The building, located at 4949 Village Fair Drive, Dallas, TX 75224, celebrated its dedication and grand opening on May 19. Both namesakes, Robert and Dr. Charmaine Price, as well as County Commissioner John Wiley Price and District 6 Trustee Joyce Foreman, were in attendance to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony. The Prices, Charmaine is 98-years-old and Robert is 103, are pillars of the South Dallas community, where Dr. Price was an educator, and long-time advocates for Dallas students and public education.
The newly renovated and expanded Charmaine & Robert Price Career Institute enhances Dallas ISD’s successful Career Institute program which serves 19 Dallas ISD high schools, offering students career programs not provided at their regular campus. Kirksey designed 44,000 square feet of new construction and 58,000 square feet[GU2.1] of renovations to complete the 170,500 square foot campus. At the Charmaine & Robert Price Career Institute, high school students have access to hands-on training and career programs in 17 fields such as architecture, cybersecurity, industrial robotics and patient care.
A new entry to the school welcomes students, visitors and community members into a light-filled lobby area where a purposeful palette of glass, metal and concrete highlights the architecture. Showcasing the elements of design and construction allows the building to be used as a teaching tool for the architecture, construction, and carpentry programs. The intentional creation of collaborative spaces and outdoor courtyards reiterates the spirit of a multipurpose, functional design, successfully maximizing both the footprint and the budget. A new automotive center gives students access to hands-on learning on actual vehicles in an environment that mirrors real-world working conditions. Additional classrooms, a technology room, a new cafeteria and a modern test kitchen further expand the campus and accommodate more students as the Career Institute programs continue to grow.
Part of the new addition includes a 17,000 square foot tornado shelter for use during weather emergencies. The project team worked diligently to create a safe, secure facility that also accommodates the requirements and elements of a high-performance 21st-century learning environment. Including a tornado shelter within a career institute further combines form and function, reiterating the duality found throughout the design.
Significant expansions and upgrades to the construction and health science labs create modern and accessible learning environments for hands-on training. The construction lab doubled in size to provide more room for architecture and construction science students and to accommodate a new meeting room and advanced technology. Similarly, the renovated health science classrooms and labs better serve the growing program.
"The expansion of the Charmaine and Robert Price Career Institute is more than a construction project; it is a promise kept to our students in Southern Dallas,” said Oswaldo Alvarenga, Deputy Chief of Strategic Initiatives. ”By doubling our capacity for hands-on learning in construction, health sciences, and automotive technology, we are ensuring that 'form meets purpose.' This facility provides our scholars with the industry-standard tools they need to bridge the gap between high school and high-wage, high-skill, high-demand careers in the Dallas area, creating a direct path to financial equity and leadership in our community.”
“We are excited to be a part of this project which brings together so many career pathways in one place,” said Nicola Springer, AIA, LEED AP, Partner & Managing Director, PK-12 Practice at Kirksey. “The building itself is a teaching tool that is designed to serve multiple disciplines simultaneously. Our team crafted a solution that emphasizes form and function – prioritizing safety while also adding a sculptural quality of the project.”