Austin, TX, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of the Design-Build team with Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, Pfluger helped with the Comfort ISD district-wide improvements from the 2019 bond—including the original 1893 Comfort School, a Texas Historic Landmark.
In the late 1800s, about 40 years after founding Comfort, Texas, the area’s German immigrants decided their numbers had grown to justify a permanent schoolhouse. Between 1892 and 1893, the settlers built a three-room limestone school at the corner of 3rd and High Streets. In 1904, they added a fourth classroom and hallway, and, in 1922, a second story was constructed. One hundred years later, Pfluger was honored to help the small stone schoolhouse find a new purpose by transforming it from the district’s technology department into the central office administration and public board room.
To retain the building’s historical character, Pfluger kept the exterior intact and worked within the school’s original color scheme. Accessibility improvements were required to make the building safer and more functional, including a limited use/limited application elevator designed to not interfere with the building’s foundation or block windows. Other code-compliance upgrades were made in locations invisible to the public.
The original schoolhouse windows were destroyed over 40 years ago during renovations, and the replacement windows significantly altered the façade. New windows and doors were selected to match the structure’s original design as best as possible. For example, the historic 6-over-6 windows restore the façade to its original design. Out-of-character canopies, fire balconies, fire chutes, and other non-historic additions were also removed.
Other 2019 bond renovations include:
- Building and site improvements at all schools
- Significant renovations to the middle school, including a new two-story Classroom/Library/Administration Addition on the west side
- A new multi-use facility, building trades class, and press box at the high school
- A new warehouse for maintenance and transportation
Evolution of the original Comfort School:
*pictures and history from Comfort Schools, A Proud Tradition
1893-the third structure for comfort isd is built
1904-a fourth classroom and hallway were added
1922-a second story was constructed for the expanding school
2022-building is converted to the district’s central administration building
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ABOUT PFLUGER
Founded in Austin, Texas, in 1972, Pfluger Architects believes architecture is more than the built environment. It's people—listening to the client and designing flexible, functional environments with sustainable solutions that positively impact the environment and bottom line. With offices in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Pfluger inspires people to create a more meaningful human experience.
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