Donald Haynes performing arts center

A new performing arts building brings a revitalized arts presence to a high school campus.

Owner: Austin Independent School District
Design Team: LZT Architects: Murray Legge, Herman Thun, Val Fuger, Dale Austin, Tim Davis, Lucas Brown
Consultants: Encotech Engineering (MEP & Structural), Urban Design Group (Civil), Winterowd Associates (Landscape), CMPBS (Sustainability), ACR Engineering (Commissioning), Dickensheets Associates (Acoustics)
Photography: Thomas McConnell
Size: 16,000 sf
Cost: $4,400,000
Awards: Austin Energy Green Building Program 4-star Rating

Establishing a revitalized arts presence within a campus of tired high school buildings, this 500 seat multiform performing arts center connects to the exterior through an outdoor performance area. The new theatre building is composed of inner and outer shells.

The sidewalls of the structural outer shell form a masonry box composed of the same brick and box-like form as the existing school. Shredding the box reveals and masks the inner shell. The baffled walls of the house interior, whose form shapes its acoustical environment, are revealed on the exterior.