Highland Park High School’s MAPS Class Constructs A Playhouse Highlighting Architecture and Preservation Park Cities In Support of Dallas CASA’s 30th Anniversary Parade of Playhouses Exhibition
The exhibit runs through June 29th at NorthPark Center
Named one of the Top 100 Significant Homes in Highland Park and University Park by Preservation Park Cities, the home of Sherry Tucker Cox and her husband, Martin Cox was the model for the design of the playhouse built by Highland Park High School’s MAPS class in support of the Dallas CASA’s 30th Anniversary Parade of Playhouses exhibit now at NorthPark Center through June29th. MAPS is the Moody Advanced Professional Studies program at Highland Park High School.
Polly McKeithen, MAPS Professional Engagement Administrator, Moody Innovation Institute, Highland Park ISD said, “This is the 4th year that HPHS MAPS Environmental Architecture class has built a playhouse for Dallas CASA. We have again partnered with Preservation Park Cities for this project and our builder for the second year in a row is David Espedal of Espedal Design + Construct.
“We are proud to support Dallas CASA and its mission and appreciate the learning opportunities this project allows. Students designed the house after the Cox home, a Streamline Moderne home in Highland Park that Preservation Park Cities has named as one of the Top 100 most architecturally significant. The students incorporated design elements in the playhouse to support the 2025 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Heat Action Day, including the awning, the Dutch door and operable windows for air circulation and cooling and the grocery store front that would sell fluids and vitamin-packed foods that would support rehydration.”
Sherry and Martin agree saying, “We’re preservationists at heart and are honored to be a part of the HPHS MAPS program and highlight our home’s unique architecture and preservation, along with Preservation Park Ciites.”
For more information about Dallas CASA, visit: https://www.dallascasa.org/dallas-casa-events/parade-of-playhouses/
More about American Red Cross’ Heat Action Day:
https://www.redcross.org/red-cross-youth/resources/activity-guides/heat-action-day.html#:~:text=Heat%20Action%20Day%20(HAD)%202025,Red%20Crescent%20Societies%20(IFRC).
More about the home in D Home magazine’s 2024 article here:
https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-home/2024/fall/designer-avery-cox-gives-her-childhood-home-a-refresh/
Dallas CASA: Dallas CASA celebrates the 30th anniversary of Parade of Playhouses presenting imaginative children’s playhouses to help child victims of abuse or neglect on June 13-29 at NorthPark Center. For this annual, fun-filled community event, generous architects, builders, organizations corporations and individuals design, build and donate extraordinary children’s playhouses to raise funds so that Dallas CASA can provide more volunteer advocates to protect children, restore their childhoods and help them reach their full potential. During the 17-day event, raffle tickets for the opportunity to win a playhouse are sold and all proceeds from underwriting and raffle ticket sales benefit the children served by Dallas CASA. https://www.dallascasa.org
Preservation Park Cities Mission:
PPC mission is to preserve and promote the history, architecture, aesthetics, and cultural traditions of the Park Cities. Proceeds of the Distinguished Speaker Luncheon, Historic Home Tour and the Classic and Antique Car Show will be used to preserve and maintain the Park Cities House at Dallas Heritage Village, support the new PPC archives at the University Park Library, fund landmarking initiatives, award scholarships to Highland Park High School graduating seniors planning to study architecture or history and fund the Distinguished Chair for History at Highland Park High School. Membership in PPC is open to the community. For more information visit www.preservationparkcities.org