SAN ANTONIO, TX — Cotulla Independent School District (ISD), a South Texas district of nearly 1,200 students, recently began construction on renovations to the 1957 high school buildings. Designed by Pfluger Architects, the renovations and additions to the campus will work around existing buildings to integrate into the site plan in two phases, bringing the total campus area to 137,000 square feet (12,300 square feet of renovations). The additions and renovations are to be completed in December 2026.
Cotulla High School’s disconnected campus buildings, with limited interior corridors and many outdoor access points, creates logistics challenges. Recognizing the urgent need for modernization and connecting the entire campus, Cotulla ISD sought a design solution that strikes the right balance between modern facilities and preserving the school’s tradition and charm. The community approved a $65 million bond in May 2022 to fund the additions and enhancements for the 400-student campus.
“The age of the existing buildings and a modest budget for modernization were some of our biggest challenges, but they tested our creativity to really give Cotulla a thoughtful design that resonates with the community. By applying Pfluger’s HealthySafe holistic approach to educational facilities planning, we were able to create a campus design that embraces openness and an inviting atmosphere, incorporating constant visual connections to the outdoors and discreet layers of security,” said Anthony Plascencia, Principal and Project Designer at Pfluger Architects. “For Cotulla High School, this means a thoughtful campus redesign to create a secure and supportive environment where students can learn and grow confidently while honoring the history and community that makes the school unique.”
Faced with a challenge to create adaptable spaces that could serve multiple purposes, in particular a community/assembly space for up to 1,000 people for large periodic events like graduation, Pfluger created innovative solutions that make use of budget and space allocation. An auditorium will open to a dining hall to expand capacity as needed without increasing unnecessary academic square footage.
At the heart of Cotulla High School is a dining commons that doubles as an outdoor courtyard. Pfluger’s design encloses the courtyard and creates shared space between the academic wing and the addition of a Commercial and Technical Education (CTE) and fine arts building with sightlines to an existing pond at the back of the property that is often used for science experiments and an outdoor classroom. The CTE/fine arts building brings career tech programming to the forefront, enclosing the courtyard in a protected outdoor space with mature trees already on the site.
