Trinity Christian Academy is a PK-12 private Christian school established in 1970 in far North Dallas. The 40 acre, 1,600 student campus is composed primarily of aging, inexpensively constructed stucco buildings rapidly approaching the end of their useful lives. Over several years and multiple iterations, GFF developed a campus master plan proposing multiple building phases to be implemented over time. The new buildings are intended to fit into the existing architecture while establishing a new, higher bar for the campus standard.
The immediate need and first phase project resulting from the master plan was a renovation to an existing campus building to become the new Pre-K Center. Following completion of the Pre-K in 2020 focus shifted to new construction.
The first new building arising from the master plan, a new 45,000 SF Middle School, accommodates 7th-8th grade and anchors a newly emphasized entrance to the campus with a loop drive and drop-off, a landscaped forecourt and reconfigured parking, providing a place of arrival for the Middle School. (Facilities for grades 5 and 6 and a 600-seat chapel will be provided in a future addition.) Buff brick and cast stone details convey a sense of quality without overpowering the adjacent tan stucco buildings. The Middle School’s simple massing is accented by a glazed stair tower and an extended covered walkway which provides a pedestrian connection to the existing campus buildings. The regular pattern of paired windows is broken by a 2nd and 3rd floor bay of floor-to-ceiling glass marking collaboration spaces overlooking the new campus green. The new Middle School sets the stage for future buildings and provides an aesthetic that expresses the long-term vision of Trinity Christian Academy.
The new Middle School building opened in August 2022.
