Aldine, Texas is an unincorporated area of Harris County north of downtown Houston and near Houston’s main airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Aldine Independent School District serves the highly populated area, home to approximately 60,000 students, many in underserved neighborhoods. With the schools aging and enrollment declining, the district sought to modernize and optimize schools and campuses to create more sustainable, energy-efficient learning environments for future generations.

Collaborating with Huitt–Zollars, M2L Associates provided landscape architecture and tree preservation services for three new middle schools in the replacement program: Mead Middle School, Garcia Middle School and Jones Middle School). M2L’s team developed the overall landscape design for the campuses, sports fields and courtyards. Designs featured low-maintenance landscaping, enhanced sidewalks and student gathering areas. The team designed unique features and elements for each campus using durable construction materials in various shapes and configurations to create attractive outdoor spaces for recreation and outdoor classroom activities. Designs for all three campuses were delivered simultaneously within a tight, fast-tracked schedule to meet the school district’s scheduling milestones.