Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in
Houston, Texas, is one of the top-ranked performing arts schools in the country, whose mission is to provide a balanced program of challenging academics and rigorous training in the arts.

The $88 million project would ultimately include a five-story, 168,000-square-foot building featuring a dramatic front entrance with double-high glass windows and a wide stairwell, 800-seat main theater with a balcony, dance and music studios, 150-seat recital hall, 200-seat theater, 190-seat black box theater, and rehearsal rooms.

Chris Purpura from WJHW was the lead theatre consultant and determined what equipment would best suit the school’s many needs.

“There were a lot of complicated parts and pieces,” explains Purpura. “We had acoustical curtains, house lighting, motorized and manual rigging – and all of it had to be delivered and installed into one city block in downtown Houston. There were multiple venues so communicating well and often with Wenger Corporation was essential. It was a challenging, but fun project.”

Purpura determined that Wenger Corporation could provide a one-stop integrated solution for Kinder HSPVA, while providing project management to help keep the new building and equipment
installation on schedule.