Orange County Public Schools Debut Two New High Schools

SchenkelShultz Architecture announced last week that it has completed two new high schools for Orange County Public Schools. Horizon High School and Lake Buena Vista High School, respectively located in the Winter Garden and Dr. Phillips areas of Orange County, Fla., will each include room for 2,700 students in the nation’s eighth-largest school district.

“Our goal in the design of these two campuses was to balance cost efficiency and functionality with a modern, 21st-century learning environment for students,” said David Torbert, Partner and Education Leader at SchenkelShultz. “The multi-use academic spaces support small-scale learning communities, multi-modal instruction, and project-based learning with the courtyard providing a place to extend learning, connection and collaboration beyond the classroom.”

Horizon High School
Photo credit: SchenkelShultz Architecture

According to a news release, both schools feature a centralized courtyard and an auditorium, gymnasium and media center up front for easy after-hours access by students and parents. The administration building offers a single, secure point of entry for each school’s entire campus. Other security features at both campuses include a full security system and cameras, a two-way emergency radio system, a voice-evacuation fire alarm system, fence-lined perimeters, card reader entrance controls, and a permanent generator.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).