Blue Hole Primary School Has Opened and is Designed for the Future
Blue Hole Primary School in Wimberley ISD opened to in-person students in August 2020 as the first One Water School in Texas. O’Connell Robertson, architecture and MEP engineering firm on the project, is proud to share that the project has won the 2020 Rain Catcher Award from the Texas Water Development Board and has also already inspired additional One Water projects within the region.
The architectural design of the 90,600 square foot Pre-K through 2nd grade school reflects the One Water concept of the importance of water and its flowing nature through the natural beauty of the surrounding Texas Hill Country. The nature-themed campus is a model for future schools in the area as the region adapts to water challenges and develops innovative ways to benefit the community and the environment.
“We are thrilled that the Blue Hole Primary School integrated with the One Water System has been honored with the Rain Catcher Award, reinforcing our design’s enrichment of lives and deepening of students’ education in Wimberley ISD. This focus and display of sustainability will impact generations to come!” – Jarrod Sterzinger, AIA, LEED AP, Principal
Wimberley ISD, O’Connell Robertson, and the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association made the decision to prioritize water as a resource and designed the first One Water school in Texas, which focuses on the efficient use and transport of water throughout the entire Wimberley community.
The One Water’s approach for Blue Hole Primary was to reduce groundwater usage and reuse water produced by the school. To do this, the district installed a 200,000-gallon rainwater and AC condensate storage tank. They implemented an advanced system to reuse the captured water for irrigation and toilet flushing. Efficient use of the system enables the management of all water – drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and greywater – as a single resource.