School District of Osceola County
Kissimmee, Florida

Osceola County School District came to BRPH with a complex set of issues. The original campus, built in 1986, was designed as a sprawling community college and had no clear perimeter, presenting significant administrative and security challenges. The student population had ballooned in recent years, and aging buildings and equipment left the school community without a true sense of school pride or optimism.

Through several design thinking workshops, the design team was able to better understand the school’s complex needs and developed a safety-driven, seven-phase approach that combined new construction with renovation. The campus remained fully populated and operational during every phase of construction.

The new site successfully pulls public spaces, such as the theater and gymnasium, to the edge of campus with controlled access points. Courtyards were moved to interior areas of campus to create a secure perimeter while still providing fresh air and open spaces. New high-performance buildings were added to house the cafeteria and kitchen, administration/office space, performing arts theater, gymnasium, media center, and art, band/music and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) classrooms. Existing buildings were renovated and updated with the latest standards in integrated technology. Gateway’s new performing arts center provides the district and the community with a state-of-the-art facility that exceeds district standards in terms of space and acoustics.

The central concourse of classroom spaces feature “stop and pause” elements such as large environmental graphics to ignite creativity, as well as full-height windows into selected classrooms, such as maker spaces, to spark curiosity. Materiality and color were used as a means to express school spirit and community pride, transforming the previous all-beige color scheme. Architectural “portals” in corridors act as wayfinding elements, create a sense of arrival and add visual interest.