Posted on January 27, 2025

The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Dr. Jim F. Chadwell Administration Building and Discovery Lab Learning Center is being recognized with the prestigious Caudill Award as one of the best educational facilities in Texas. The award is the highest honor in the annual Exhibit of School Architecture competition facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) and Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) for projects that exemplify excellence in planning and design of the learning environment. 

EMS ISD leaders, including Dr. Jim F. Chadwell, Superintendent Emeritus and the building's namesake, Clete Welch, EMS ISD Chief Operations Officer, and Lauren Brown, the Principal with VLK Architects who designed the building, were on hand to accept the honor on Monday at the 2025 TASA Midwinter Conference in Austin.

Designed by VLK Architects, the innovative building received five out of six possible stars of distinction, recognized for Design, Wellness, Community, Planning and School Transformation. It is one of only six projects to receive Caudill status this year.

You can read the Exhibit of School Architecture's description of how EMS ISD's building excels in those five areas of distinction, plus view additional pictures at  www.emsisd.com/DiscoveryLabDistinctions.

About the building, the 12-member jury noted, "Nestled on a rolling hill with an awe-inspiring view of Marine Creek Lake, the Discovery and Learning Center is designed to serve students across the district and provide equitable access to nature. Students guide teachers through a maze of connected trails, identifying elements of nature. Bringing the outside in, natural materials create a ribbon of welcoming corridors reflecting the environment and variety of exquisite views. The environment enhances the learning and working experience by bringing joy and purpose to every day."

The Exhibit of School Architecture awards are given at the discretion of a 12-member jury: four school board members, four administrators, and four representatives of the Association for Learning Environments (A4LE).   

Reflections from Dr. Jim F. Chadwell, EMS ISD Superintendent Emeritus:

I am very proud that the Administration and Discovery Labs Facility was selected for the highly coveted Caudill Award. This is the most significant award given by the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards. The project received special distinction for design, wellness, community, planning, and school transformation. There are thousands of architectural projects each year and hundreds of new or renovated facilities. To be chosen as one of the best in Texas is a tremendous honor.  

VLK Architects did an outstanding job working from design to construction to ensure that our vision for this project would materialize.  We took advantage of a beautiful piece of property adjacent to existing trail systems, too small for a school, but just the right size for our new administration and discovery lab facility to serve our fast growth community. Not only does it efficiently replace the district’s previous eight overburdened administrative buildings, it also provides the discovery labs named after two of the district’s finest teachers, Jane Weaver and David Prince, who have promoted outdoor learning for decades. These labs provide a flexible space for students to interact with the woods, prairie and waterways on the property, as well as being used for professional development and community events.  The building is rarely closed in the evening, because it serves as a community resource for meetings and events.  

When walking through the thicket of woods and brush just a few years ago, we imagined this facility to serve the school district and the community.  It turned out just like we wished and will continue to be a great example of interaction of learning and office spaces with nature.  It is intuitive in its design integrating transparency, organic materials, natural light and informal interactivity with outdoor areas. The building simply makes you feel good.

Reflections from Lauren Brown, Principal, VLK Architects:

When we learned the facility was winning the Caudill award, we were so excited for EMS ISD because we knew the process the district went through focusing on students, community, educators and administrative staff. We see how this building is activated as intended and continues to grow into the fabric of EMS ISD’S community. It is a beautiful thing to witness. 

The EMS ISD community should be excited about this facility because it bolsters what drives excellence in the district. The students can explore and administration has various types of spaces for meetings and professional development. The community defines what makes this so successful and valued for more than just another building. Programs and departments are purposefully placed and developed to meet the needs of the community.  

This is a unique facility because it serves the community of Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD outside as well as inside. The building is nestled into the natural landscape, encourages exploration for the youngest of learners and welcomes the community with a trail connection. Tranquility with a visual connection while inside the building is experienced in all rooms and corridors, bringing the outside into the mindfulness of the day-to-day experience. 

About the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Dr. Jim F. Chadwell Administration Building and Discovery Lab Learning Center

The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Dr. Jim F. Chadwell Administration Building and Discovery Lab Learning Center, approved by voters in the 2017 Bond, is a multipurpose facility serving the entire EMS ISD community. The Discovery Lab Learning Center is a state-of-the-art facility that provides students with the opportunity to learn about science through hands-on experiences. The labs open out to Marine Creek, Marine Creek Lake, and more than 20 acres of surrounding woodlands and prairies. Students can explore this natural area and bring their scientific samples back to the discovery labs for further analysis. As an office building, 17 EMS ISD administrative departments and the Education Foundation now work together under one roof. This brings together approximately 150 employees previously scattered among eight different buildings. For campus and auxiliary staff in other facilities across the district, the facility provides a uniform location to host professional learning and meetings through the use of 19 conference rooms, dedicated training rooms and the board room for special events. For the community, the facility provides flexible spaces for special events, meetings and programs along with access to the Marine Creek Lake trails.