Fort Worth School Starts Work on Replacement Lower School Building
By Eric Althoff
FORT WORTH, Texas鈥擣ort Worth Country Day school is pressing forward with a $25 million school building for students in grades 1 through 4. The 37,720-square-foot Annie Richardson Bass Lower School will replace the campus鈥檚 existing Lower School, which was built in 1964.
As designed by San Antonio-based Lake|Flato Architects, the Annie Richardson Bass Lower School will feature a 2,130-square-foot library, commons area, science labs, a first-and-second-grade wing as well as a third-and-fourth-grade wing. Sustainability elements of the school will include LED lights, rainwater collection as well as drought-resistant landscaping capabilities being imagined by Dallas-based Hocker Design. Due to the area鈥檚 climate, a tornado shelter is also a part of the plans.
The designers are working in concert with the general contractor, Linbeck of Fort Worth. The Annie Richardson Bass Lower School is due to debut in 2025.
Eric Lombardi, head of school at FWCD, called the Lower School a chance to foster an exceptional learning environment while being energy-efficient and delivering on safety promises.
鈥淚t will have a strong connection to our campus鈥檚 amazing outdoors, while also giving our faculty and students first-class spaces to inspire the highest level of elementary-appropriate learning,鈥 he said.
The Lower School construction is part of FWCD鈥檚 鈥淔orward Together鈥 campaign aimed at increasing the district鈥檚 educational opportunities for the years to come. Thus far the campaign has raised over $31 million in improvement money.
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