About 100 students at L.G. Pinkston High School got the chance to weigh in on aspects of their new school’s design during a workshop on May 15 with architect Henry R. Muñoz III.
“This past year, we have seen the youth of the country rise up and make their voices heard on issues of national importance, and that is exactly what we wanted to accomplish with today’s event: hear directly from the students,” Muñoz said. “It only makes sense to bring them into the process of designing the cultural identity of their new school.”
Muñoz & Co. created the award-winning design for Dallas ISD’s Billy Earl Dade Middle School. Elements in the entryway at Dade – a variety of doors adorning the walls and the word “opportunity” in the floor – are just a few signals that the building is not an ordinary school.
Muñoz encouraged students to contribute their ideas to the new school, with “Everyone is a Designer” being the overall theme for the day.
Built in 1962, the existing Pinkston High School building will be replaced by a new facility to be constructed nearby and funded by the 2015 Bond Program.
Also part of the event was nationally renowned climatologist Nicole Hernandez Hammer. She is and Southeast Climate Advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists. Hernandez Hammer challenged students to consider how climate change affects them and their West Dallas community.
“Discussing climate change is a logical next step as we’re seeing our country’s youth stepping up to tackle the issues the generations before them haven’t been able to fix,” Hernandez Hammer said. “I’m excited and hopeful to see these young people involve and dedicate themselves to the betterment of our planet, starting in our local communities.”
After a news conference to kick off the special event, students representing Pinkston school programs such as Architecture, Environmental Systems, Early College, Law, JROTC, Athletics and Student Council gathered in the existing school’s cafeteria.
Students were guided through a series of exercises to get them thinking about what their school and community means to them. The culmination of the session was the beginning of a mural for the new facility that will reflect the school and West Dallas culture.
