Miami Dade County Public Schools, Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary School, Miami, Florida

The HADP goal on the project was to provide a unique design response that addressed the very limited and unusually configured site while meeting the design objectives of the university as well as the School Board. The idea was to inspire future teachers as well as to educate students.

This new elementary school was designed as a laboratory teaching school in a joint effort between Miami Dade County Public Schools and Florida International University (FIU) and is located on the FIU University Park Campus. The five-acre building site dictated a compact, efficient and organized two story scheme incorporating the following design concepts: A strong Main Street planning concept utilizing the central spine corridor; it also has modular standardized classroom elements in a defined house concept with each house plugged into the central spine corridor and facing a quiet zone of the FIU campus. The educational houses are organized to give the feeling of a smaller school within the school. The Media Center, Administration and Dining are all centrally located off the main street and convenient to parking, drop-off and single side access from SW 117th Avenue. The Main Street concept and centrally located and defined media center provide strong orientation as you move through the school. Academic areas can be shut off at night leaving the multi-use functions open for community use. The resulting scheme provides a well organized controlled and flexible facility which creates an exciting learning environment for the children.