New Florida Keys State-of-the-Art School Designs Unveiled by Zyscovich Architects

Miami, FL, August 23, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The new look of the first 21st century school in Monroe County, Plantation Key School, is released and it will inspire collaborative learning for the next generation of Florida Keys students from Kindergarten through 8th grade education. The design will blend cohesively with the Keys vernacular style and technologically advanced adaptable spaces to aid the project-based learning curriculum, stimulating a love for learning at young ages. The program and curriculum will take advantage of its privileged location in the Florida Keys, where the economy is based on both environmental stewardship and a vibrant hospitality community.

The architect selected for the project, Zyscovich Architects, has built many award-winning schools including the 2016 Best Elementary School Downtown Doral Charter and the 2016 Best College Miami-Dade College Hialeah Campus by the Florida Education Facilities Planning Association (FEFPA). The construction manager selected for this project, Biltmore Construction is a recognized leader in the construction industry with a vast experience in sustainable and hurricane-proof structure construction.

Originally built in the 1970s, the project consists of a phased replacement of the existing facilities.

The new 100,000 square foot school will be built according to the Green Globes assessment standard for sustainable building design, operation and management.

Monroe County School District Facilities Planner Michael Skrodinsky says, “The District along with Biltmore Construction and Zyscovich Architects are committed to creating a truly unique educational facility for the Plantation Key community. This project is more than just new buildings, it’s about the inherent connectivity that is shared between the community and its school.”

Project Manager and Director of Sustainable Initiatives at Zyscovich, Thorn Grafton, AIA, LEED AP, shared some of the sustainable plans for the school, “cisterns to capture rainwater to irrigate a hydroponic garden, a solar photovoltaic demonstration project, heat recovery from the air conditioning systems will heat water used in the kitchen and bathrooms, LED lighting with daylight sensors will be used throughout the school, along with other energy and water saving strategies.”

“Our goal is to create learning environments which inspire students’ curiosity and creativity to thrive in the approaching Innovation Economy,” said Zyscovich Architects Partner and Corporate Vice President, Jose Murguido.

Plantation Key School will have several specialty labs to facilitate the project-based learning style including a Maker Lab for engineering and design and a Carnegie Lab for performance arts in the da Vinci Lab visual arts, students will learn skills including creating pottery on a pottery wheel.

The Think Tank learning center for environmental and marine science has a large touch tank for students to interact with marine life in the classroom.

The Science-On-a-Sphere-Lab teaches children about Earth’s evolution through a video projection onto the sphere teaching children about our dynamic planet and others.

There will be an outdoor science gazebo with access to the shoreline, themed play areas and recreational courts. Even the gymnasium is being themed as a Motion Lab designed with a rock-climbing wall.

The Jaime Oliver Lab will expose students to the world of culinary arts as well as prepare them for a potential career path in the fields of hospitality management or nutrition science.

A key technology hub of Plantation Key School is the Media Lab designed to incorporate ever-changing educational technologies. Strategically located in the heart of the school, the Media Lab includes a “CNN Lab” to expose students to CCTV equipment for communications and generate educational content for the students.

Plantation Key School Principal Lisa Taylor has been intimately involved in the planning process from day one. She said, “Working with Zyscovich Architects has been an amazing experience. With input from school staff and the local community, they have designed an incredible 21st century learning environment that will be the first of its kind in the Florida Keys.”

The Zyscovich Architects education design team has a large toolbox of school design services including programming, master planning, sustainable design, historical renovations and technology training for teachers. The education team has designed over twenty LEED certified schools and over has received fifteen awards from the Florida Education Facilities Planners Association (FEFPA).

About Zyscovich Architects

Founded in 1977, Zyscovich Architects is an international urban planning, architecture, and interior design firm with offices in Miami, Orlando, New York City and Bogotá, Colombia. For nearly forty years, Zyscovich Architects has strived to create projects with purpose, bringing new life and vibrancy to cityscapes through integrated urban planning, architecture and interior design. To this day, Zyscovich Architects has remained true to the original concept: design projects that have purpose and meaning. Since the firm's inception in 1977, the goal has always been to establish a company that can provide high-value services for design-specific issues while placing "social betterment" at the core of everything we do. The firm was ranked 65th among the nation’s top architecture firms in 2016 by Building Design+Construction. The company has a wide scope of projects including mixed-use, transportation, education, commercial, retail, multi-family residential, federal, community and hospitality. The innovative design approach, Real Urbanism® considers city planning and architecture in a multi-dimensional way—emphasizing the history and context of the site to create places with identifiable character and personality.

For more information, visit www.Zyscovich.com