P.K. Yonge Middle-High School Construction Complete

SchenkelShultz Architecture announced this week that construction of the Middle-High School at the P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School in Gainesville, Fla., is complete. The public, K–12 school was designed to meet the LEED Gold Certification standard as set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Affiliated with the University of Florida College of Education, the school is known for its innovative educational curricula and programs that provide each student with an optimized learning experience and environment. The facility was also awarded first place in the Architectural Showcase presented by the Florida Education Facilities Planners’ Association (FEFPA).

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School

“Our goal was to design a physical environment that was an embodiment of the school’s mission to ‘design, test and disseminate innovations in education,’” said J. David Torbert, partner with SchenkelShultz Architecture. “We collaborated closely with P.K. Yonge’s Leadership Team, educators and students to create a new building that prioritizes active, participatory learning within a safe and secure environment.”

The three-story building was designed to create a student-centered, flexible, and technology-rich learning environment that fosters collaboration. It features amenities like STEM labs, open collaboration areas, distance-learning labs, open collaboration spaces, and break-out spaces for small groups. It was built to replace an existing, 60-year-old facility.

The construction manager for the project was Parrish McCall Constructors.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Can AI Help Build Stronger Communities in Student Housing?

    Student housing success is shifting from operational performance to student experience, with belonging now at the center. A recent 2025 report underscores a growing emphasis on student well-being, community, and engagement, signaling that expectations now extend beyond logistics to ensure students feel supported in their living environments. AI is enabling that shift by reducing administrative workload and giving teams more time to focus on meaningful student engagement.

  • Campus Safety Requires Using Every Resource Available

    Across the U.S., school and campus leaders are facing a security landscape that has changed dramatically over the past decade. Incidents on school property have increased in recent years, with several consecutive years setting record totals. According to analysis of data by CNN, dozens of shootings now occur on school grounds annually across K-12 and higher education environments.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.