Ribbon Cutting at Houston's North Forest High School

North Forest High School (NFHS) celebrated its official grand opening on May 4. Members of the Page team including Senior Principal Art Chavez and Associate Ptah Harding were on hand to join in the festivities with NFHS Principal Dr. Darryl J. Henson, representatives of Houston Independent School District, elected officials, community stakeholders and other project team members.

As pedagogy has evolved, learning environments are increasingly flexible. The design encourages student-centered learning, which includes common areas as well as classrooms that can be joined together for collaboration. Page Principal and Project Manager Wendy Heger explained, "This was a terrific opportunity to show how current design thinking can make a real difference in how people use and respond to a facility. It's rare to have the original school literally standing across the street and get feedback on the difference from students who experienced both, transitioning from one to the other within days."

When the school opened its doors, Principal Henson led students into their new academic home explaining that it had been built “just for them, for their minds and their future.” Page’s design team, which included expertise from DLR Group, intended that students and their families should have a sense of ownership in the new school. They  met monthly with a small parent/teacher/student group as well as the full PTO to share progress and gain feedback on the evolving design. 

To watch the 01:30 video, click below: 

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