How a 155,000-square-foot building earned back-to-back design awards while surviving Houston’s climate
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Awty’s new 155,000-square-foot Campus Center, part of a multi-phase expansion begun in 2021, serves as the central hub for the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) curriculum. Designed by Lake Flato Architects and built by Harvey Cleary, the building won the 2025 AIA Houston Design Award and the 2026 Texas Society of Architects Design Award, recognized for climate-resilient features suited to Houston’s demanding weather.
Built for Houston’s Climate, Not Just Its Curriculum
Houston’s climate, hot, humid, and prone to severe storms, shapes how any large building on Awty’s campus has to function. The Campus Center was engineered specifically with climate-resilient features: deep overhangs and shaded breezeways support natural ventilation, and an expanded stormwater management system uses rain gardens to handle heavy rainfall, addressing Houston’s flooding risk directly rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Why Climate Design Matters for a School Building
A school building that accounts for natural ventilation and stormwater management isn’t just more resilient during severe weather; it can reduce reliance on mechanical systems day-to-day and keep the campus functional even when Houston’s weather turns difficult, a genuinely practical concern for a school that can’t simply close for extended periods.
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A Building Designed Around STEAM
The Campus Center functions as the central hub for Awty’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math curriculum, integrating a central dining commons with an open kitchen, a multi-purpose lecture hall, and a modernized library into a single facility. Bringing these functions together under one roof, rather than spreading them across separate buildings, reflects an intent to make the Campus Center a genuine gathering point for the school community, not just additional classroom space.
| Element | Detail |
| Size | 155,000 square feet |
| Architect | Lake Flato Architects |
| Builder | Harvey Cleary |
| Key Features | Dining commons with open kitchen, lecture hall, modernized library |
| Climate Features | Deep overhangs, shaded breezeways, expanded stormwater management with rain gardens |
What the Award Recognition Actually Signals
The Campus Center won the 2025 AIA Houston Design Award and the 2026 Texas Society of Architects Design Award, recognition from professional architecture organizations rather than school-specific rankings. That distinction matters: these awards evaluate the building on its architectural and engineering merits against other projects across Texas and Houston generally, not just against other school facilities, suggesting the Campus Center succeeds as a genuinely well-designed building, not merely an adequate one for its specific purpose.
Recognition From Outside the Education World
Winning awards judged by architecture professionals, rather than education-specific recognitions, signals that the Campus Center’s design achievements are being measured against the broader field of Texas architecture, a higher and more independent bar than a schools-only award would represent.
Maximize Your Child’s STEAM Potential at Awty
Awty’s Campus Center reflects a genuine, substantial institutional investment in both its academic mission and Houston’s specific climate challenges, recognized with real architectural awards beyond the education sector. Navigating admissions and understanding how to leverage these state-of-the-art STEAM facilities can be complex. Cardinal Education helps families evaluate Awty’s offerings, align campus resources with your child’s academic goals, and build a competitive admissions profile.
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