Menchaca Elementary School
Menchaca Elementary School was one of the first modernization projects completed as part of the 2017 Bond program.
The rich history of Menchaca Elementary began in the late 1800s. Named after Tejano Army Officer José Antonio Menchaca, it was originally built as a one-room schoolhouse. The new facility is the fifth version of Menchaca Elementary in the community. The modernized 98,600-square-foot campus was originally conceived as a single building with interior circulation, but the design evolved through an extensive process that engaged teachers, parents and students.
The ground-up design for Menchaca Elementary School illustrates how a commitment to community engagement, research and innovative learning environments can change the course of a campus. Early discussions focused on broad concepts, including the natural beauty of the site, which included several mature Texas oak trees. The end result is a collection of three buildings with shaded outdoor collaboration spaces designed around the heritage oak trees.
The buildings form two courtyards linked by a second-story bridge that houses an innovative library media center and makerspaces specifically designed for the school. More than 30 percent of the site is open, vegetated space, creating direct links between the outdoors and learning environments. Sustainability and energy efficiency were also baked into every aspect of the design. The new school is an Austin Energy Green Building and the campus is designed to meet LEED certification, including a commitment to air quality and overall wellness for the students and faculty.
2017 Bond Update: Menchaca ES from Austin ISD TV on Vimeo.
Project Timeline
*Timeline and rendering subject to change
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