Portfolio

Houston, TX

The Visual and Performing Arts Center for the CyFair ISD is an 85,000 GSF new facility that includes a multi-use 1,500-seat main hall, 250-seat black box theater, visual arts room, dance studio, technical backstage areas, and administrative areas. This high school is designed to be one of the very best in Texas, outfitted with superior acoustics and AV systems to provide students the experience of practicing and performing in professional grade environments so they can excel when moving on to higher education and careers in the performing arts.

The main performance space is designed to accommodate a wide range of programming, from amplified, immersive performances, to natural acoustic music. Our design includes acoustic enhancements not typical of a school this size such as dispersed seating throughout three levels, a mechanical orchestra pit lift, motorized adjustable acoustic banners, a demountable orchestra shell, and an active smoke evacuation system which allows better integration of the orchestra shell into the proscenium opening. With multiple performance venues in the building, there was also potential for noise and vibration transfer between spaces during simultaneous use. An acoustical isolation joint was strategically routed in the building to physically decouple the structure of the various performance spaces.

Auditorium AV systems operate at high levels of production value to enhance the audience experience as well as give students hands-on training with cutting-edge professional tools used in the live production field. Immersive technologies set this venue apart from peer educational buildings, offering the ability to surround the audience with AV content that can change dynamically with each performance. Rehearsal spaces round out the building with the ability to present AV content for performers to perfect their pieces before taking them to the stage.