agriscience magnet program

a model for urban agriculture education
NEISD
CEFPI
2012 World Congress
Proposal for “Facility Site Visits”
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, TX
September 22-24, 2012.
agriscience
magnet program
at Madison High School
GARZA
BOMBERGER
& ASSOCIATES
architects + planners
GARZA
BOMBERGER
& ASSOCIATES
architects + planners
THIS IS A SCHOOL WORTH VISITING BECAUSE ...
... it is the National model for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Education
... inspires other school districts to elevate their CATE Program.
... this building also provides endless opportunities to learn about sustainability.
1. School Name
AGRISCIENCE MAGNET PROGRAM AT MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
North East Independent School District
2. School Location
5005 Stahl Road, San Antonio, Texas 78247
3. Distance from the San Antonio Convention Center
15.5 miles from the SA Convention Center
4. Grade levels served
9 through 12. Capacity 750 student | 350 head of livestock raised in the
5 campus project centers
5. Description of the school
The NEISD’s Agriscience Magnet Program facility is located on 22 acres adjacent to the Madison High School. This LEED Gold & CHPS Designed facility houses largest FFA program in Texas and is open to students grades 9-12
throughout the district. It prepares students for agribusiness careers through
a program that addresses the targeted occupations of the region to meet the
challenges of the vocation. It offers 6 majors in agriculture.
6. Name of the architectural firm/s who designed the school/renovation
GARZA/BOMBERGER & ASSOCIATES
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
(how do you engage the community, foster community use/joint-use, celebrate the unique
needs of the community, connect students to their community)
What was once a small struggling program geared towards the traditional
Ag courses has become a model for school districts throughout the country.
Located just a couple of miles inside Loop 1604 is an oasis and one of the
best examples of adapting to a changing environment that can be found in the
region. It is the Agriscience Magnet Program (AMP) at Madison High School.
The AMP, home to the James Madison Chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) serves as a cornerstone of the surrounding community. It celebrates
community’s agriculture heritage through acknowledgement of local resources
such as animal farming, food product harvesting, education with regard to
area’s resources and lack thereof (water, solar, animal, plant). It also provides
students opportunity to contribute to the community through hands on practice while also learning the economic impact of agriculture industry.
Students in the Agribusiness Management & Marketing classes help manage
the new “Old West” style general store, where they sell the products that they
raise, grow and produce on site, including compost, produce and meat products, or tilapia filets harvested from the school’s aquaculture ponds.
The Animal and Veterinary Science area features a functional veterinary
office that offers small animal healthcare services to the public where students assist with spaying and neutering shelter animals.
The Show Arena provides the ideal space for students to present livestock
shows. In addition, the arena is made available to the public for community
events and is often utilized by FFA, 4H and other community organizations.
The Commons area and outdoor amphitheater will be made available to the
public as spaces to gather for relaxation, entertainment and education.
The AMP facility was designed to achieve LEED Silver standards under the
guidelines established by the Unites States Green Building Council (USGBC). Upon project completion, the team exceeded the goal and achieved
LEED Gold certification. All green/sustainable features were documented for
use as teaching tools with the students and the community at large. Each
feature’s implementation and contribution to the overall ecological efficiency of the complex is explained through an interactive kiosk or Green Screen
in the main building’s lobby. Multiple tours of this facility are conducted
weekly on schools districts wanting to elevate their CATE Program and to
other groups including the local CEFPI chapter.
The facility is also the first in South Texas to conform to the rigorous design
standards of the Collaborative of High Performance Schools (CHPS)
Through the collaborative efforts of its outstanding faculty, dedicated staff,
and diligent students, the AMP will become an essential contributor to the
betterment of the surrounding community.
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
(how do you support a variety of learning styles, enable learners to be successful, support
future changes in educational delivery systems)
“There is a connection between humans, technology and nature that is
inherent in agriculture science, and students will explore this connection
through hands on experiences.”
This statement defines the philosophy behind the design of the AMP at
Madison High School. The AMP is a unique experience within the NEISD
which offers rigorous courses that are relevant to the students’ future and
connected to the real world. Recognizing the importance of the need for
agricultural occupations programs in the area, the mission of the AMP is to
provide quality education and training both in terms of academic content as
well as in terms of practical experience in an environment perfectly suited
for this purpose. The facilities and the curricula have been designed to
meet the highest national standards of excellence in agricultural education.
It offers six majors in agriculture including animal science, environmental
science, agriculture communications, mechanized agriculture, agribusiness
marketing and plant science.
GARZA
BOMBERGER
& ASSOCIATES
architects + planners
5545 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 100
San Antonio TX 78229
phone 210.349.7000
fax 210.349.7820
At the AMP, students have endless opportunities to gain practical experience
through hands-on practice in the multifaceted agricultural industry. All the
courses include time for lecture and for skill development, which involves
hands-on practice or other learning tasks that build students’ skills. The
classroom provides an important channel for theoretical learning and information-sharing but there is simply no replacement for practical “on-the-job”
education. The latest technology was incorporated in our classrooms and
labs to offer students cutting-edge opportunities that include a technology
Ag mechanization lab, agriculture science computer lab, and technologyenhanced classrooms. In addition, students gain practical experience in the
most varied ways.
The new instructional building for the Agriscience program is divided into
several program areas on two floors, with classroom space reflecting the
needs of each program. The first floor features the Aquaculture and Environmental Sciences area, Agriscience Marketing, Animal and Veterinary Science, Entry Level Agriscience, a Commons Area as well as a Show Arena.
The Aquaculture area features two 250-gallon & four 500-gallon fish tanks
for fresh & saltwater fish. It also has two racked aquaria, three ecosystem
tanks & an outdoor pond stocked with fish that is accessible via the adjacent covered pier.
The second floor of the instructional building hosts the Horticulture and
Wildlife and Floriculture programs. This floor features classrooms and greenhouses and opens out onto a roof garden, which provides the opportunity for
students to practice growing test plots of vegetables, herbs, wildflowers and
landscape plants.
There are four new barns or project centers in the agriscience complex.
Each has been designed to accommodate a different breed of livestock.
These centers include a goat center, a lamb center, a swine center and a
cattle center.
Students at Madison do not take a class in raising a pig. They take a class
in animal science, the science of animal agriculture and animal husbandry.
They do their projects before and after school. They also get into veterinary
science and meat science where they have a meat processing lab on campus. Hams, bacons, sausages, everything to breaking down carcasses, the
whole business is taught. The program is realistic, and they have a realistic
understanding of the process. They realize, probably better than anybody in
this world, the sacrifices made just to put meat on the table. The amount of
energy it takes in grains and hay to keep those animals, and the amount of
energy it takes just to produce those grains and hay and vegetables, etc.
These students actually do more than just learn theory from a dry textbook.
They take the mystery out of being an entrepreneur. They take ideas and
create a comprehensive business model that connects a customer with
a product from concept, through research and design, to production and
processing, to marketing and distribution. Every product they produce goes
to the general store; anything that they create in ag mechanics goes through
the general store from concrete water troughs to trailers to bar-b-que pits.
They market it. They distribute it. Online sales, catalogue sales to the general public, the idea is to be self-sufficient. That is the whole concept. It is
far beyond the concept that we get money so the kids can go on a trip. The
fact that they can see the end point for the products that they are producing
and watched that product become integrated all the way through the process, rounds them out so much better.
When students have the opportunity to train with a hands-on curriculum
they become more deeply engaged in both their education and their future
career path.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
(how do you demonstrate sustainability, appropriate use of materials, systems, and other
building elements, inspire internally and externally)
With more than 123,000 square feet of sustainable construction the AMP
facility was originally conceived as an educational venue and catalyst for
the emerging field of ecological design. The design allows it to function
as a place where education in specific subject matter could occur, but the
facility itself acts as a teaching opportunity, providing the students endless
opportunities to learn about sustainability and our environment.
1390 East Bitters
San Antonio TX 78216
phone 210.494.1638
fax 210.494.1639
The instructional building has a rooftop garden, or green roof. The garden
reduces the radiant heating affect produced by traditional roofs and provides
additional insulation for the building. The garden is designed to collect and
filter storm water into a harvesting system. It also provides the opportunity
for students to practice growing test plots of vegetables, herbs, wildflowers
and landscape plants.
A rainwater harvesting system was installed to collect runoff from the facility’s roof and condensate from the air conditioning units. The harvested water is used to irrigate the roof garden and the site landscape. The landscape,
itself, is drought resistant, reducing the amount of water required.
Low consumption water using systems were installed, including low flow
toilets and fixtures. In addition, a high efficiency and extremely flexible
ventilation and air conditioning system was implemented.
Students also learn about the application of renewable energy and the
sustainable measures that power the facility. These items include a 30-foot
fall wind turbine and photovoltaic solar panels that generate energy for the
complex, as well as solar power radiant floor heating in each of the project
centers. In addition, these barns also feature insulated roofs, mechanical
ventilation, open air sides, and operable canvas tarp closures to ensure the
health and comfort of the animals.
The animals have access to Lixit faucet fixtures which are activated by the
animals’ mouths or snouts when they are thirsty, thereby saving water when
compared to filling and emptying water trays. All manure is composted and
utilized for fertilizer on the rooftop garden with all excess material sold by
the students at the general store.
PLANNING PROCESS
(how did the process affect the learning environment, and how did the team remain
involved through the design, construction, and post-occupancy phases)
When the NEISD first contemplated a new facility for its Agriscience program, Garza/Bomberger & Associates told the District and Program faculty
to ‘dream big’. Even in those big dreams, they probably never imagined the
possibilities that would await the program’s students once the facility was
completed. In 2007 those big dreams turned into an even bigger reality
when the district’s taxpayers approved bond funds for the new facility.
Today, Garza/Bomberger & Associates remains one of the AMP Prime Sponsor and is working to ensure the program remains fluid and responsive to the
changing needs and direction of the Agriscence Industry.
GARZA
BOMBERGER
& ASSOCIATES
architects + planners
5545 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 100
San Antonio TX 78229
phone 210.349.7000
fax 210.349.7820
The AMP facility is part of a master plan envisioned by the district and
designed by the architectural staff at Garza Bomberger & Associates. The
master plan is comprised of two phases which will occupy an area more
than 24 acres in size when completed.
Phase I of the master plan incorporated complete demolition of the program’s existing instructional building and barns and construction of a new,
state-of-the-art instructional facility as well as four new barns, a show arena
and an outdoor amphitheater. In addition, drainage improvements to the site
were included as well as several LEED specific equipment installations.
Phase II will include the construction of an additional project center, an
agriculture mechanical fabrication lab and a meat packaging plant. While
Phase I was recently completed, future phasing has been taken into consideration in the overall master plan with respect to LEED. The major renovation will be an instrumental part of the future expansion of the AMP course
offerings and enrichment activities.
Phase I was awarded to Joeris General Contractors in June 2009 under a
Competitive Sealed Proposal process. Joeris solicited bids and proposals
from over 1100 subcontractors and awarded contracts to 62 subcontractors.
Of these, 19 were awarded to AGC member companies, including Concrete,
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing. The Joeris team self-performed approximately 5% of the project. The combination of premier AGC subcontractors and the Joeris team of craftsmen and construction management professionals allowed Joeris to complete the project within the Owner’s schedule.
The Joeris commitment to finishing projects on time is recognized by our
clients as exhibited in the following quote from the North East ISD Executive Director of Construction Management, Gary Sullivan.
“Because of their strong relationships with the subcontractor community, we had an excellent group of subcontractors and suppliers who built a top-notch facility. Joeris effectively coordinated the
subcontractor work and resolved construction issues on the project in
a timely and professional manner. Joeris is a remarkable general contractor- not only do they have technically-competent and high-quality
project managers and superintendents, but they also back their field
staff with the commitment of senior management. It was commonplace to have Joeris Senior Management at our job site checking on
the project execution and overall construction delivery schedule.”
The new AMP facility was actually a replacement facility for the program’s
previous structures. The Magnet Program occupies space on the campus of
Madison High School, a campus that hosts student related activities yearround. The Joeris team had to coordinate with the faculty and staff of two
campuses. This meant working with both campuses to accommodate athletic events, agriculture programs, testing and general student movement
throughout both campuses. The Joeris team was proactive and worked diligently to communicate the construction schedule well in advance. Regular
meetings were held with campus directors, principals and security to ensure
the safety of the students and staff.
Another challenge was the presence of numerous farm animals on site. It
was imperative that the Joeris team take whatever measures were needed to
protect the animals, their food and water sources and their living environments. In addition, each of these animals had student caretakers visiting
regularly to provide food, grooming and other care to their animal projects.
The safety and health of the students as they visited the animals was the
most critical concern for which the team had to be prepared. Again, the Joeris team worked collaboratively with the program’s staff to ensure the safety
of all students, visitors and animals throughout the course of the project.
1390 East Bitters
San Antonio TX 78216
phone 210.494.1638
fax 210.494.1639
The NEISD AMP Facility project provided the GBA/Joeris team with an opportunity to construct a first-of-its-kind facility in Texas. Even though the
team faced several challenges on its way to successfully completing the
project, NEISD and all team members are very proud of our accomplishment. The words of John Mack, Agriscience Magnet Program Director,
describe the District’s overall satisfaction with the character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency of the GBA/Joeris team during
planning/design/construction and post occupancy.
“I was introduced to James Davis of GBA in 2001 as our district
was putting together a Bond Proposal. At the request of the Bond
Committee, we developed a “rushed” plan to present to the voters. At this time, the Ag Program was a side issue, not a focus. The
Bond failed in the wake of the 9/11/01 economy. The district went
back with a scaled down version in 2003 that did not include our
program. However, money was set aside to create a Master Plan for
our 22-acre footprint.
GBA’s attention to customer service and their commitment to staying
on task made us feel like we were center stage. From the preliminary meeting on this project to today, I have been involved in every
meeting and have been able to work with consultants and specialists
to create the ultimate agriculture education facility. GBA captured
every detail we dreamed of and created a campus beyond our expectations. From the environmental, LEED, aspects of the design to the
function of every square inch of our 22-acre site, this campus will
be State model for high school agriculture education.
James Davis and his staff have gone beyond any expectation we had
when we started this project. They are artists and true professionals.
I have come to really appreciate the multi-faceted understanding of
design and utility that they team bring to every meeting.”
WHY?
(tell us what makes your school unique to attract visitors from around the world, and why
someone should travel from another continent to see your school)
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GARZA
BOMBERGER
& ASSOCIATES
architects + planners
5545 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 100
San Antonio TX 78229
phone 210.349.7000
fax 210.349.7820
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National model for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resource Education
Inspires other school districts to elevate their CATE Program.
LEED Gold Campus. Provides endless opportunities to learn about sustainability
First TX-CHPS Designed School - earned 39 points under TX-CHPS
criteria (version 2009)
The facility itself acts as a teaching opportunity
Largest ag program in state of Texas
One-of-a-kind facility
Model for environmental education and living classroom style learning.
Model for educational facility that is designed to be sensitive to environment while providing community relevant education & preparing kids for
future by incorporating relevant and modern concepts & technologies.
Roof garden. There is a major architectural shift to utilizing the roof and
turning it into a productive environmental space.
2011 Outstanding Construction Award - The Association of General
Constructors of America.