(Fort Worth, Texas) – Last week, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Fort Worth Chapter held their annual Excellence in Architecture Design Awards. Among 34 projects of varied size, function, and budget, the jury presented eight projects with awards: two Honor Awards, five Merit Awards, and one Studio Award. VLK Architects received one out of the two Honor Awards for the design of the Bill R. Johnson Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center in Crowley Independent School District. 

“The Bill R Johnson CTE is such a special facility,” said Lauren Brown, AIA, Principal at VLK Architects. “The physical space is defined by walls, but the experience is defined by students, teachers, and the community. I have listened to students speak to the opportunities a facility like this opens up. Crowley ISD has raised the bar providing exceptional educational facilities for their students.”

The AIA Fort Worth Excellence in Architecture Design Awards program recognizes outstanding architectural, urban design, and unbuilt projects by architects practicing in the Fort Worth chapter to promote public interest in design excellence. Javier Sanchez with JSa in Mexico City, Chudi Abajue with IBI Group in Houston, and Mike McGlone with Alamo Architects in San Antonio were the 2021 jurors. 

“This facility was designed together with the students and for the students. We wanted them to love coming here, love learning here, and love spending time here,” said Erjon Troqe, Project Designer at VLK Architects. “Our number one goal was to inspire the students and give them a sense of freedom, connection, pride, security, and achievement. In a sense challenging them to reach further in their future careers.”

VLK intended the design of Bill R. Johnson CTE Center to foster innovation and provide an educational environment for students and the surrounding community. As a result of VLK|LAUNCH®, VLK’s long-range facility planning process, students, parents, and community members simultaneously contributed to the building strategy. By providing fluidity of space, the development of the 209,000 SF campus maximizes collaborative learning, seamless outdoor transitions, and flexibility.

To see the complete list of 2021 AIA Fort Worth Excellence in Architecture Awards Recipients, click here: https://www.aiafw.org/2021-aiafw-design-awards. To view this press release on the VLK Architects website, click here: https://vlkarchitects.com/insi... .

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About VLK Architects: With offices throughout Texas, VLK Architects provides architecture, planning, and interior design services to automotive, K-12, higher education, corporate, and institutional clients throughout Texas. For more information, please visit our website: www.vlkarchitects.com or contact 817-344-0344 or tbartley@vlkarchitects.com.  

To learn more about Crowley ISD’s Bill R. Johnson CTE Center, click here: https://vlkarchitects.com/projects/bill-r-johnson-cte-center.