Woodland Middle School . North Port, Florida.

Philosophically, 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 campus provides a mature environment that encourages the students to act responsibly and prepares them for high school.  The campus organization is clear and orderly and allows for easy observation of the movements of up to 1375 students. The buildings use a limited palette of materials and repetitive forms to establish a clearly articulated, and controlled environment.  Color is generally neutral with colorful interventions at key locations. 

The site is irregularly shaped due to the many wetlands areas.  To fit playfields, buildings, and other required elements on site with room for future buildings and preserving wetland areas, a compact campus design, based on team teaching, was developed using two story buildings for general classroom areas.  Breezeways with raised roof forms articulate the continuously aligned classroom buildings and allow opportunities for cross circulation. The campus and building designs follow LEED guidelines for sustainable development.  The project was awarded LEED Silver certification.

Photographer: Matthew McCourtney