Okaloosa County Schools sought to alleviate overcrowding in its northern elementary schools by constructing a Pineview K-8 school. The school’s location on a pine-covered hillside inspired its name and design, reflecting the area’s historical ties to the pine logging and turpentine industries, while also celebrating the natural beauty of the land.
This state-of-the-art facility will accommodate 1,200 students and feature two-story classroom wings, collaborative study spaces, a media center, and outdoor courtyards. The design also incorporates modern amenities such as specialized band and chorus rooms, advanced classroom technology, a gymnasium with PE and athletic locker rooms, and a cafeteria designed as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area.
With a focus on flexibility and community engagement, the spacious entry lobby serves as a dynamic hub, complete with a built-in learning stair and media projection wall. Together with the media center and administration area, the lobby offers a range of meeting spaces to cater to both the school’s and the community’s diverse needs.
A new K-8 school to serve 1,200 students in the Santa Rosa County School District was needed. The thoughtful design is the new standard for K-8 schools. This two-story facility features three wings on each floor, including 25 primary classrooms, 20 intermediate and middle school classrooms, and 23 exceptional student education rooms. The design incorporates sustainable practices and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, setting a standard for future K-8 schools in the county.
The design features a central 2-story atrium, named the Hub, which incorporates the school’s central stairs and provides a gathering space with good supervision of the students throughout the day. Supervision of students where different age groups interact was a key concern of the school’s administration. The site had a limited construction area due to existing wetlands, which helped drive the compact 2-story pinwheel design. This school is a prototype for the school district for K-8 schools, and the compact design works well on smaller sites.
Through design research on the long-term benefits of both immersive and kinesthetic activity as well as biophilic design on educational outcomes, “Anytime learning” became one of the key design strategies for Dune Lakes Elementary School. Stepped seating, teaching walls, open outdoor areas, and interactive wall elements ensure students have unique opportunities to engage, collaborate, and study.
Each classroom and public circulation space incorporates natural daylighting, either through large windows, clerestory windows, or towering skylights. Wayfinding was inspired by the county’s environmental and historical richness, allowing the buildings themselves to be part of the students’ educational experiences. The project reflects architectural elements familiar to the community, while environmentally conscious elements include interior finishes, LED lighting, and native landscaping. The elementary school utilizes a variety of CPTED principles and safe school strategies, while still maximizing moments of creative play, whimsy, and inquisitive learning.
Beulah Middle School was built to accommodate Pensacola’s growing student population. This 205,000-square-foot facility is a modern educational hub featuring state-of-the-art classrooms, labs, a gymnasium, a music suite with direct access to the cafetorium stage, an innovation center, and more. It serves around 1,200 students, offering a comprehensive core curriculum and diverse vocational academies.
The design emphasizes community integration, with a welcoming front entrance and convenient parking near the track and gym, which are accessible to the public. The school’s private areas are sheltered from the public street front, creating a secure environment where students can move freely between wings.
