Florida District Selects Designer for K–8 Prototype Campus

St. Lucie Public Schools in St. Lucie, Fla., recently announced that it has selected Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc., to design its new Western Grove K–8 prototype campus, according to a news release. Construction on the 217,500-square-foot facility will begin in February 2025 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026. The district is also partnering with construction management firm Wharton-Smith for the project’s construction.

The campus will feature two-story academic buildings, an administration building, a gymnasium, chiller plant with thermal storage, and an auditoria, which will serve as both a cafeteria and auditorium. The auditoria measures in at 33,569 square feet and features dining facilities, a kitchen, stage, band classroom choir classroom, and art classroom. It also serves as the campus’ Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA).

“Spiezle’s design for Western Grove K-8 builds on the extensive history shared between us and the school district, as we continue to evolve and modernize our prototypes, while creating a model that is easily replicable at other future school sites throughout the district,” said Principal Anthony Donadio of Spiezle. “This new school will provide students in St. Lucie with a safe, clean, and forward-thinking facility that will suit their needs for many years to come.”

The classroom buildings include four classroom pods surrounding an interior extended learning area, the news release reports. Both the common core facility and classroom buildings feature laboratories, science demonstration classrooms, ESE classrooms, skills labs, and more.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.

  • Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Barbara Vick Western Branch

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Barbara Vick Western Branch has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • 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.

  • Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.