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Pre-K to 4

little ribbon cutters Huckabee Texas

Huckabee Re-Opens Historic ES

By | Clients

The first iteration of Hommel Elementary School was The Everman School, a title still prominently displayed across the front of the building. It was built in 1922 for $31,000 and housed grades K-12. Since then, the building has undergone multiple renovations, losing many of its historic elements in the process. It is now Hommel Elementary School and serves Pre-K through 4th grade.

In 2014, Huckabee was tasked with renovating the space to provide additional classrooms, add safety and security updates and restore some of the school’s history. The renovation included a 2-story classroom addition, which allowed the school to get rid of portable buildings, as well as a secure-entry vestibule and upgrades to building systems. Most notably, however, are the ways in which Huckabee worked to restore the historic aesthetic. From restoration of the original floors to replicating design elements founds in the 1920s, Huckabee was able to bring back the building’s original charm

“During previous renovations, the floors had been covered in vinyl and then covered in carpet,” said Mike King, Associate Principal for the project. “When we pulled back the flooring, we realized there might be an opportunity to restore the original hardwoods. We did a test run in one of the classrooms, and the floors looked great. Now, throughout the building, the original hardwoods have been refinished and restored.”

During the floor restoration, Huckabee uncovered the original court markings from a gym added in the 1940s. The gym had been re-purposed as classroom space and is now the library. While Huckabee was unable to restore the original markings, we instead replicated them, including the historic Everman “E” at center court. It sits proudly at the center of the library, reminding students and teachers of the school’s long history.

Other unique elements include the use of tin ceiling tiles (similar to those used in the original design), walnut bead-board wainscoting and period-style lighting fixtures and window panes.

“We replaced all of the single-pane windows in the facility,” said Mike King. “We were able to provide the school with energy efficient replacement windows that were designed to fit the historic aesthetic. And while we were unable to save the marble sills, the director of facilities had his own idea to re-purpose the material—he cut the marble to make small paper weights for the school!”

Hommel Elementary re-opened in August, during a ribbon cutting ceremony that brought back alumni from the old days. One gentlemen was overheard saying, “I attended here in 1935 and it is so good to see my first grade classroom is still here.”

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ribbon cutting Huckabee Texas

Elementary School Design Spotlight

By | Clients

Huckabee joined Palmer ISD for a special ribbon cutting ceremony, as the district and nearly 1,000 community members celebrated the opening of their new elementary school. The new school provides an energy-efficient space that supports technology in the classrooms, creativity and future growth. It replaces a decades-old facility and was designed with learning, fun and safety in mind. The school will serve up to 570 students in Pre-K through 4th grade.

During the design process, Huckabee worked with teachers from each program area to develop a vision and plan for the facility. Staff shared ideas with the design team, creating ideal use for each space and talking through technology use, energy efficient solutions and design concepts. From windows in each learning space, to flexible-use activity rooms with kid-friendly colors and furniture, to whiteboards and technology access in the classrooms, the facility is an ideal space for primary instruction.

A unique feature of the facility is a flexible-use room in the library. Large, posh bean bags create the ideal space to lounge with a book, and a brightly lit ceiling feature gives students the feeling that they are “under water,” looking up into the ocean as turtles swim by.

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