Virginia Stuller Tatham, Fine Arts Center

St. John’s, a private institution in Houston’s prestigious River Oaks area, provides educational facilities for grades K - 12. The school had not updated its fine arts program since 1971, but with a student body of 1,200 and fine arts faculty of 22, the decision was made to design a new facility. Architectural and design services were provided to build a new, 48,000-square-foot, two-story building that houses a 625-seat theater complete with balcony seating and orchestra pit, an acting lab, a music library, an outdoor kiln court, and a dance studio with a sprung floor. The building also contains four music practice rooms for private and group lessons, two rehearsal halls, a theater and film classroom, control room, scene shop, make-up and dressing rooms, and administrative offices. The project was completed in association with Graham Gund and Associates.