+ Project Details

"When you walk the campus that BGKA designed, you know you are in a very special place. There are both tributes to the schools 140-year history in the renovation of the Heritage Center and the clocktower, and simultaneously landmarks of its future with its pedestrian malls and technology innovations. Efficiency, art and courtesy are a rare combination in today's work world. The courtesy extended to our TSD family by BGKA has made us lifelong friends. The efficiency and the artistry of the buildings speak for themselves."

-Claire Bugen, Superintendent, The Texas School for the Deaf

About:
Texas School for the Deaf Austin, TX

The Texas School for the Deaf was founded in 1856 and holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operated public school in Texas. The site is sacred ground for the deaf community that holds historical and emotional significance. The school provides services to residential and day students from across Texas. Over nearly 20 years, BGKA oversaw the design and construction of 22 new buildings and the renovation of over 250,000 square feet of existing space.

The project set the tone for the firm’s practice, establishing a collaborative process that draws the best architectural solutions out of engagement of the stakeholder community. With the firm’s stewardship, the project became a landmark accomplishment, not just for the practice, but also for the State of Texas, and the national deaf community.

Since the campus’ completion, the surrounding neighborhood has been revitalized, and the school has increased its enrollment and developed a reputation within the deaf community as a national model for deaf education.

Recognition:
AIA/ AASA/ CEFP Architectural Award of Honor, 2004
AIA Austin Firm of the Year, Awarded in recognition of a decade of work at the Texas School for the Deaf, 1999
AIA Austin Citation of Honor, 1999
Texas Architect
Austin Business Journal
Austin American Statesman