Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Design Firm Completes Six Schools in 2.5 Years for Maryland K–12 District

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/27/24

The Prince George’s County Public School System in Maryland recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its sixth new school in two and a half years, according to a news release. The Feb. 21 ceremony marked the completion of The Colin L. Powell K–8 Academy, which opened in November 2023. The other five schools (Sonia Sotomayor Middle School, Drew-Freeman Middle School, Hyattsville Middle School, Kenmoor Middle School, and Walker Middle School) opened in September 2023.

The six schools are part of a 30-year, public-private partnership among the Prince George’s County Education & Community Partners consortium. The consortium’s members include developers Fengate Asset Management and Gilbane Development Company, design-builder Gilbane Building Company, architecture firm Stantec, and facility services provider Honeywell, the news release reports.

“Our design of these innovative learning environments reflects the needs of a diverse student population in Maryland. We were able to create engaging education spaces that feel connected, yet each offer their own unique aesthetic,” said Stantec Project Lead Michael Scarani. “By delivering in half the typical time, we were able to meet the district’s ambitious goals to get its students into new, modern classrooms and help PGCPS address each of its communities’ space needs.”

Each school includes features like grade-specific academic wings; media labs; STEM and STEAM labs; production studios; an indoor gymnasium; performance stages; and band, music, and dance rooms. The facilities include room for at least 1,200 students each for a total added capacity of more than 8,000 students.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Image courtesy of Kahler Slater

    UW–Madison Announces Completion of Morgridge Hall

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced that construction is complete on Morgridge Hall, a new academic building, according to a news release. The facility opened September 3 at the start of the fall semester, consolidating the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences into a single facility for the first time.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.