Alex Sanger Elementary School had traditionally housed pre-k through 5th grade students. Located in an established East Dallas neighborhood, the school had a commitment to a Dual Language offering. Realizing that there was no current option to continue with the program beyond 5th grade, parents and administrators conceived the idea of adding a 6th - 8th grade wing to the school to house and extend the current program.

The 24-classroom addition houses middle school students alongside younger children on the same campus. The site is extremely tight due to zoning restrictions and a floodplain, and the design team worked extensively with the City of Dallas and school district officials to comply with FEMA regulations. A small portion of the existing building was located in the floodplain, so our team proposed an impervious coating on the wall and flood shields on the doors, which saved the district hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Spaces include classrooms, a new building entrance, a science lab, a computer lab, a tornado shelter and a multi-purpose activity center with changing rooms.