Miami-Dade County Elementary School Prototype

The goal of the ‘prototype system’ is to achieve a high-performance school that delivers meaningful civic presence responds well to varying site conditions; and creates an inviting educational environment for impressionable young minds. MC Harry Associates has responded with a collection of ‘proto-parts’ to create a village-scale ‘campus’ organized around a central ‘Mainstreet’ pedestrian environment.

The architectural vocabulary for the campus is based on a ‘tilt-wall model’. This construction model organizes a system of abstract, yet coherent, visual relationships expressed through the use of asymmetric, geometric, planar wall elements. Techniques for achieving student-oriented scale and proportion for the school includes the use of wall plane articulation, fenestration, and the controlled use of bold color.