Headwaters Elementary sits lightly among the trees—an expansion designed to support a growing student body while honoring the school’s vision of a village-like campus in the woods. Environmental sensitivity and strict impervious cover limits shaped every decision, prompting a design strategy that maximized usable space while minimizing footprint.

Classrooms are arranged around a U-shaped plan that opens to the site’s wooded interior. Circulation paths are moved outdoors, blending with the Central Texas climate and eliminating conditioned corridors. Natural light filters through interior glass walls, framing views of the surrounding trees and reinforcing the building’s quiet connection to its setting.

Limestone masonry nods to adjacent buildings but is refined in its detailing, offering a crisp, contextual take on local vernacular. The result is a compact yet spacious learning environment where movement, daylight, and nature converge.

Photography - Peter Molick Photography