Heron Creek Middle School . North Port, Florida.

This school campus is based on a reuse of the building designs developed earlier for Brookside Middle School.  Middle school bridges the gap between childhood and young adulthood and fosters the development of self-control and behavior appropriate for a young adult.  The transition from childhood is often trying and sometimes volatile during the middle school years.  It was the Principal’s desire for us to provide a mature environment that would encourage the students to act responsibly and prepare them for high school.

 In response to this requirement, the campus organization is clear and orderly and allows for easy observation of the movements of students on campus. The buildings use a limited palette of materials and repetitive forms to establish a clearly articulated, orderly and controlled environment.  Color is generally neutral with colorful interventions at key locations.

 To fit playfields, buildings, and other required elements on site with room for future buildings and preserving wetland areas, the compact campus design, based on team teaching, was developed using two story buildings for general classroom areas as had been done for Brookside Middle school, previously.  Breezeways with raised roof forms articulate the continuously aligned classroom buildings and allow opportunities for cross circulation.

Photographer: Seibert Architects