Richard A. Wilkinson Middle School, Frisco ISD
Project Stats
- Location
Frisco, Texas
- Size
160,000 SF
- Market
- Expertise
Ushering in a new era of education design.
To address their increased enrollment, Frisco ISD needed a new middle school to support their evolving curriculum with a new, innovative school model. For more than four decades, Corgan has maintained a strong relationship with the district, designing and building over 70 schools. Wanting to embrace a progressive concept and create a prototype for future schools, Corgan collaborated with stakeholders to envision collaboration spaces and outdoor learning environments as driving factors. The new middle school meets those design needs with three classroom pods, two outdoor courtyards, and shared commons and library spaces, along with fine arts, band and choir halls, and two gymnasiums.
Academic hubs create connection with the larger learning community.
The design takes functional and aesthetical cues from the Panther Creek High School campus located across the street. Open spaces with triple-height volumes and floor-to-ceiling windows flood the building with natural light while flexible learning spaces and outdoor plazas create areas for students to learn and socialize. Flexible learning is accomplished within three academic hubs for each grade level characterized by central gathering spaces with various small and large group learning areas to support the different ways students learn.
The proximity and visibility of the classrooms to the collaboration spaces provide students the freedom to choose between a variety of learning environments. The space is further activated by open, blended classrooms with operable partitions and flexible furnishings. The layout of these hubs allows students to connect with the learning community outside their pod while maintaining privacy as needed.
Creating opportunities for middle schoolers to interact.
The flexible design provides double use spaces for both academia and extracurricular activities. A centrally located cafeteria creates a common space to take breaks or study. Innovation labs double as science and technology rooms. Classrooms have direct access to the outside where tiered seating and huddle areas encourage students to connect. Key to supporting a healthy and active learning environment, the 19‑acre site provides tennis courts and a track/football field for the Bulldogs to support school spirit and competitive sports.
District names school after former Deputy Supervisor
The campus is named for Richard Wilkinson, who worked for Frisco ISD for 20 years. When Wilkinson started with Frisco ISD in 1997 as the Executive Director of Business Operations, the school District had just 3,715 students and five campuses. When he retired in 2017 as the Deputy Superintendent, the district had grown to 58,450 students and 68 campuses.
Wilkinson worked furiously behind the scenes negotiating land purchases and solidifying relationships with landowners, municipalities, and the community. Upon his retirement, Wilkinson joined Corgan as the Director of Business Development for our Education Studio. “It is such an honor to have a middle school named after me I truly believe it’s a shared recognition of the collaborative efforts of my outstanding colleagues and business partners such as Corgan that I had the opportunity to work with at Frisco ISD,” stated Wilkinson.
