Designed with sustainable design principles, this campus is sited on just 8.5 acres - less than half the size of a typical middle school. The prototype middle school is designed with optimal flexibility to fit any number of small or irregular sites. Special purpose instructional spaces include an art studio, music suite, and physical education facility with gymnasium, play courts, play fields, and a running track. The core support spaces of the program include a media center, an administrative and student services building, a large multi-purpose room and food service facility. Areas of this facility are designed as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA), serving as a shelter for the community in the event of a storm or natural disaster. The Design Team incorporated several significant yet inexpensive teaching tools in to the design of the facility. A significant concrete tilt-panel wall at the entry of the campus is inscribed with a sundial. The shadow cast by the gnomon on the first day of each month is marked on the panel by a precise 1” curved reveal. The furthest extents of noon on the same day are marked by diagonal that cut across the arcs. The gnomon, or pointer, is a 2” diameter, 2’ long steel member inserted into the face of the tilt panel. The wall and its demarcations are a point of discovery used by students and teachers over the course of the year. This building was recognized with a Hillsborough County Planning Commision Award of Excellence.
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