2019
Description
The 79,000-square-foot Winn Science Center organizes biology, chemistry, and earth
science labs around a skylit central commons. A large glazed entry porch leads to a
double-height lounge, welcoming daily student traffic and evening visitors to public exhibitions;
a Maker Lab and a lower-school lab stand to either side of the lounge. The new
two-story building also provides a 250-seat lecture hall and a research greenhouse. A
planetarium, visible from Preston Road, serves as a symbol of St. Mark’s position as a
leader in science education.
The new building opens to a south-facing teaching garden dedicated to the flora and
fauna of Texas. The Center completes a quadrangle with the existing Green Library and
Lower School, extending the pattern of small courtyard gardens that is characteristic of the
St. Mark’s campus. The adjacent McDermott-Green Hall was renovated as part of this
project to accommodate physics and general science labs.
The Winn Science Center carries forward the palette established by architect Charles
Tapley in the 1960s with St. Joe’s brick and cooper roofs. The project is targeting LEED
Gold certification.
