This new K-8 school serves 1,200 students in the Santa Rosa County School District. The 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 two-story atrium, named the “Hub,” which incorporates the school’s central stairs and provides a gathering space along with good supervision of students of different age groups, addressing a key concern of the school administration. The site had a limited construction area due to existing wetlands, which helped drive the compact two-story pinwheel design. This school is a prototype for future district 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.
Designed in partnership with HLGstudio, Beulah Middle School was built to accommodate Pensacola’s growing student population. Constructed on an old air field, 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.
The new building includes three fully outfitted lab spaces; a STEAM classroom lab with indoor-outdoor access for experimentation and varied learning; and administration, conference, and informal gathering spaces. Classrooms were designed to maximize daylight and flexibility. Traffic improvements included widening the entry road to the school, upgrading the parking lot and lighting, and adding sidewalks for pedestrian safety.
Collaboration with stakeholders led to a cohesive branding vision, with museum-like graphics telling the school’s history intertwined with inspirational Christian messages. DAG is set to help the school reimagine their campus master plan in 2025.
Among the COVID-19 related challenges faced by Phoebe Putney Hospital System was a lack of trained nurses to staff their regional facilities. The healthcare provider decided to team with Albany Technical College Nursing School to offset the high cost of hiring traveling contract nurses by creating this 40-million-dollar Living & Learning Center, located on hospital property across the street from the main hospital entrance.
The facility was designed as a three-story 122,000 GSF building on the site of the abandoned Lee County High School, which had served the community for over 50 years. On the first level is a 46,000 SF state-of-the-art nursing school with ample classroom space, lecture halls, and simulation labs for future nurses to gain work experience. This education program also includes administration, student lounges, and break-out study spaces. The second and third levels are designed to house 80 market-rate nurse dormitory apartments. The offerings include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units, in addition to communal lounge/study spaces.
This modern building complements the architecture of the hospital campus and is highlighted by a point cloud-recorded entry portal that recalls the original Colonial Revival style of the high school façade. The partnership between Albany Technical College and Phoebe Putney has spurred significant educational expansion, with a 37% year-to-date growth in student enrollment.
HLGstudio collaborated with DAG Architects to form the Atlanta-based design team. This project was completed as a design-build process led by Pelicano Construction. Albany Technical College is part of the state-funded TCSG program.
