Seminole County Public Schools
Longwood, Florida

Lyman High School’s Career Innovation Center (CIC) is one of the first projects in Seminole County Public Schools (SCPS) to create a cross-disciplinary environment to enhance learning experiences for students, by promoting collaboration between faculty and maximizing opportunities to work with local business industry leaders. As a replacement for two outdated buildings, the new facility expands the existing building trades program, provides new facilities for automotive technology and creates space for an engineering program to ignite collaboration.

SCPS looked to BRPH to design student training for the workforce of tomorrow. Our team engaged a variety of stakeholders to uncover opportunities to elevate career technical education and training. Throughout the design process, SCPS supported our innovative approach to security, program design and collaboration. The facility’s Collaboratorium, a hybrid space designed to engage engineering students with construction tech and automotive tech students, is equipped with a “maker bar” and flexible furnishings. Envisioned as a fusion of hands-on learning, research and development, and student-led activities, the space flows through the interior hallways and promotes experimentation.

The building placement was critical in maintaining physical and visual connections for security purposes and to support and actively engage innovation across the campus. The orientation of the building is a gateway situated near the gymnasium and a classroom building. Working alongside WELBRO Building Corporation, Inc. during the design phase, the team made informed decisions about phasing as the scope included demolition of existing buildings followed by new parking and the construction of the CIC with parking and drive modifications.