Lee Lewis Construction Teams Up With Highland Park Students For CASA Playhouse Build

Partnering with high school students to build a playhouse that supports a great cause sounds like a win-win to Patrick Surratt and the team at Lee Lewis Construction. 

The collaboration is one of many to be featured at Dallas CASA’s Parade of Playhouses, set for July 15-31. The beloved event raises funds and awareness for child victims of abuse or neglect served by the city’s Court-Appointed Special Advocates. NorthPark Center has hosted the event every year since 1996. 

LLCI Came To Play

Surratt, senior project director at LLCI, said he was thrilled when officials with Highland Park ISD’s Moody Advanced Professional Studies approached him about teaming up. The HP students interpreted original drawings to build a scaled model dollhouse as a classroom project last year.

Lee Lewis Construction Inc. is one of 21 builders and architects creating 13 playhouses for this year’s Parade of Playhouses. This is LLCI’s first time participating. The student-built dollhouse will fit inside the playhouse and the winner of the raffle gets to take home both projects.

“Our playhouse is based off the Williams House in University Park,” Surratt said. “This is a house that was built in 1933 and the architect was David Reichard Williams — no relation to the original owners. He is considered to be the finest example of modern Texas regional architecture.”

“We are focusing on the right side of the house, where the balcony is,” Surratt continued. “We will have a false balcony to match the look of the building. We will also have some brick veneer on the lower half of the playhouse.” 

LLCI mainly focuses on K-12 schools, medical buildings, churches, and other commercial construction, so playhouse building is a fun, new venture, Surratt added. 

“The detail work is the most crucial aspect of any construction,” he said. “The detail drawings are what show the contractor how to waterproof a building, for example, or in certain areas where a special design is needed, the architect will show detailed drawings showing how this area will be constructed. If you don’t review and understand the details, then your building will not work to the full intent of its design. We pay great attention to the details because if you get the details right, then the rest of the project will go smoothly with no major concerns.” 

Surratt said he expected the construction of the playhouse would take about a month. 

“COVID and the environment we are in has caused some issues with getting materials sometimes,” he said. “A product that took three to four weeks a year ago now takes eight to nine weeks. That causes issues, but with a playhouse like this, we shouldn’t run into any problems.”

Dallas CASA For The Win

Like the other builders participating in this year’s Parade of Playhouses, Surratt said it’s a joy to give back to the community.

“Kids are the future of this country, and if no one is there to support and show direction, then there will be no future for America,” he said. “CASA provides support for kids that have gone through something terrible that no child should go through. Without this support, most children would be lost in the system or put in worse scenarios than they start off in.” 

Crest Cadillac / INFINITI / Volvo is the presenting sponsor for the event, which features custom-designed and built playhouses available to win by raffle.