DISD WH Adamson High School Replacement

When looking at WH Adamson High School, it’s easy to see that bringing the 100-year-old school back to its former glory would take more than just a redesign. An entire redevelopment of the complex was required, which included acquiring 42 individual properties from local land owners, abandoning three city alleys, one site easement, an existing utility easement, two portions of an existing public roadway, as well as dedicating new easements associated with the new development. To coordinate the laundry list of surveying services for the project, including preparation of individual ALTA surveys for each property acquisition, a boundary and topographic survey, and a tree survey, as well as a preliminary and final plat, Dallas ISD hired Pacheco Koch. The civil engineering firm designed an 80,000-cubic-foot underground detention system and worked closely with the City of Dallas Engineering Department on the design of what may be one of the first private systems of its kind allowed within the city. Even with all that and designing the facility under the Texas-Collaborative for High School Performance Schools sustainable guidelines, the $50-million project finished on schedule and welcomed new students in 2012.