Gensler and Huckabee Transform Tornado-Damaged Tarrant County College Campus with Color-Coded Facades
The Northwest Campus of Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, was redeveloped following a tornado in 2017 that revealed structural problems. In 2018, Gensler and Huckabee secured the project after engaging with the community. The renovation features a new building alongside three updated structures, each adorned with vibrant facades for easier navigation: pale yellow for Building 1, purple for Building 2, verdant green for Building 3, and red for Building 5. The quad-facing facades are clad in aluminum composite, while the outward-facing sides utilize black iron-spot brick and gray stucco. A three-coat cladding system was created with Dri Design. Spanning eight years, construction allowed classes to proceed. Building 1 houses "The Crow's Nest" for the campus president, highlighting accessibility and transparency.
Key facts
- A 2017 tornado damaged the facades of Tarrant County College's Northwest Campus in Fort Worth, Texas, exposing leaks, structural damage, and facade failures.
- Gensler and Huckabee won the redevelopment project in 2018 after a year of community engagement and goal setting.
- The project includes four buildings: one new structure and three renovations from the original 1970s campus.
- Color-coded facades act as a wayfinding system, with each building's color inspired by Texas's natural environment.
- Building 1's pale yellow references the Texas morning sky; Building 2's purple mirrors the night sky and lakes; Building 3's green reflects forests; Building 5's red evokes sediment and erosion.
- The design team worked with Dri Design to develop a three-coat cladding system with metallic flake after two-coat mockups produced inconsistent color.
- Construction was completed in phases over eight years, using swing spaces and schedule management to allow students to attend classes during work.
- Building 1 includes a pop-out called "The Crow's Nest" for the campus president's office, offering panoramic views.
Entities
Artists
- Barry Hand
Institutions
- Tarrant County College
- Gensler
- Huckabee
- SWA Group
- Dri Design
- Yaggi Engineering
- Pacheco Koch
- Westwood Professional Services
- Datacom Design Group
- Lasco
- J&E Companies
- Brazos Masonry
- Skanska USA Building
- Texas Commercial Glass Concepts
- DGB Glass
- Guardian Glass
- Engineered Exteriors
- AN
Locations
- Fort Worth
- Texas
- North Texas
- United States