Texas City ISD’s Marathon STEM and Robotics Center, designed by Pfluger Architects, earned four Stars of Distinction from the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) in the following categories:
- DESIGN: Scale and relationship of spaces, choice of materials, building layout, adaptability, and support for diverse learning and teaching styles. Highlighting examples where the educational program and design goals shaped the site and facility to enhance the student learning experience.
- VALUE: How the design or design process improved efficiency, flexibility, and value for the campus, district, or community. Including project considerations like cost of ownership, life cycle costs, long-term cost control, material selection, construction methods, and alternative design choices that contributed to the project’s success.
- WELLNESS: Wellness supports the whole child by focusing on design elements that impact behavior, development, and academic performance. How does each element connect to the project’s educational goals.
- COMMUNITY: How the project reflects and supports the community’s culture, identity, and diversity, while considering its importance to the broader community. How does the project create a strong sense of identity and belonging for both users and the community.
About the Project:
The project began as a vision to meet Texas City ISD’s growing demand for STEM education. With support from local industry partners, the district developed a robotics curriculum and transformed a former storage building into a cutting-edge STEM facility.
Pfluger Architects revitalized the unused space, creating a dynamic educational environment that features an open robotics arena surrounded by breakout rooms, classrooms, a makerspace, and a fabrication lab. Its modular design allows for flexibility, adapting to various learning styles while also accommodating large competitions, community events, and hands-on experiences for students from PreK to 12th grade. By introducing STEM at younger ages, more students are exposed to possible career opportunities within their own community.
The Exhibit of School Architecture Awards are selected by a 12-member jury of school board members, school administrators, and members from the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) Southern Region. Stars of Distinction for Excellence were awarded to 24 projects in one or more of the following six areas: design, value, wellness, community, planning, and transformation. The projects will be showcased at The TASA | TASB Convention in San Antonio September 27-28 and will also be featured in an online exhibition.
Thanks to a collaboration with community partners and a generous $1 million donation from Marathon Oil Corporation, the district’s focus on STEM and Career and Technical Education has been significantly enhanced.
Congratulations, Texas City ISD!
