Nolan Catholic IDEA Center and Natatorium
Project Stats
- Client
Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
- Size
38,000 SF
- Awards
Learning by Design: Education Architecture Award
- Market
- Expertise
Expanding the learning experience.
Nolan Catholic High School underwent a two-year campus wide renovation including transforming two existing courtyards into beautiful outdoor learning environments that provide new, experiential learning opportunities in arts and sciences. Corgan designed a new athletic facility, a new natatorium, and an IDEA center to promote the district's goals.
The new Integrated Design, Engineering and Arts (IDEA) building on the Nolan Catholic High School campus was an opportunity for Nolan and the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese to reinforce their values, strengthen their brand and elevate the student experience. The client’s vision was that all aspects of the design would embody the transcendentals of truth (science), beauty (the arts) and goodness (religion).
The building serves as an opportunity for students to engage in the arts and sciences. The two-story building includes cutting-edge equipment for engineering, technology, and the arts. The art gallery and performance space for dance, music, and theater serves as a key feature of the building, promoting and sharing student artwork to the public.
The site design and form of the building masses were informed primarily by the existing chapel at the heart of the campus, considered as a physical representation of goodness. A celebration of natural materials, views through north glazing towards the lake, as well as an upward interior procession to the art gallery and primary gathering spaces were efforts towards achieving Nolan’s vision.
The new, two-story athletic facility houses the varsity football team. Complete with indoor track, locker rooms, offices, and gymnasium offers state-of-the-art training equipment. Additionally, the new on-campus natatorium features a 25-meter swimming pool with ten lanes, a competition diving platform, and a spectator area. The new highway-facing natatorium integrates similar natural elements and forms but prioritizes an elevated stature desired by the diocese to Dallas-Fort Worth.
