Project Description
The latest addition to The Heights Foundation campus is a new 3-story building, that will serve as the new Early Learning & Education Center. The building has been designed to interact with the campus in alignment with the Foundation’s Core Values, by providing community tailored spaces that maximize the learning experience and community interaction. All classrooms have been designed with natural light, flexibility, and technology in mind. Because the arts play a large role in the education model used at the center, the building also features inspiring music and art labs.
Both these spaces were designed with access to an outdoor terrace to encourage arts exploration and interaction with the environment. The terrace was constructed using modular Bison 2’ x 2’ Smooth Ipê Wood Tiles laid in a parquet pattern, supported by Bison Versadjust Pedestals. Bison Wood Tiles are harvested in an environmentally responsible method designed to preserve the economic viability of tropical hardwoods. Because they are modular, the wood tiles meet LEED and SITES design criteria for adaptability and disassembly.
Architect: RG Architects PA
Contractor: Owen-Ames-Kimball
Interior Designer: CC+M architecture group
Photographer: Amber Frederiksen
Completion Date: 2020
Awards: 2019 AIA Florida Southwest Unbuilt Merit