In Wesley Chapel, Fla., a half-hour north of Tampa, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (KRAI) is “not going to look like anything you’ve ever seen before,” Kim Moore, assistant superintendent at Pasco County Schools, said in a statement. “This is going to be a cool school.”
Set to open for the 2022-23 school year, the 180,000-square-foot building will focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE), preparing students for high-wage, high-skill, and high-demand careers. It will offer hands-on, interactive learning that teaches skills more than theory—equipping students with the competencies they need to transition from high school to careers or college.
The purpose-built CTE high school will enroll more than 1,000 students, studying disciplines ranging from digital technology and engineering to biomedical science, cybersecurity, building construction, robotics, and more. Like the high-tech interdisciplinary buildings found on university campuses, KRAI is designed to fuel innovation, entrepreneurship, and career preparedness.
KRAI’s modern architecture and cantilevered entry canopy—hovering atop two simple columns—nod to the building sciences field, one of the school’s study areas. In addition to an open-air interior courtyard, the building will feature bridges, stairways, seating, and informal gathering areas—including a stage—that encourage incidental meetings and gatherings.
Every space is engineered to foster community and collaboration. A two-story collaboration hub, for instance, will include flexible furniture to support large gatherings and smaller-scale collaborations among students and outside partners. Like every space in the building, it will be bright, open, and reconfigurable.
Each CTE classroom is designed to function as a makerspace, filled with professional-grade equipment, technology, and tools. These malleable spaces can change as career demands evolve.
Owner/developer: Pasco County Schools
Design architect: CannonDesign
Architect of record: Hepner Architects
MEP engineer: Engineering Matrix
Structural engineer: DeCaroWillson
General contractor/construction manager: Creative Contractors
Related Stories
Projects | Apr 6, 2022
Ryan Companies expands Chicago presence with new West Loop office
Ryan Companies US, Inc. (Ryan), a national leader in commercial real estate services, announces it has enhanced its Chicago presence with the opening of a new downtown office at 224 North Desplaines in the city’s West Loop neighborhood.
Projects | Apr 5, 2022
San Francisco Giants open new training facility in Phoenix
The new San Francisco Giants Player Development Center at Papago Park in Phoenix, Ariz., includes a first-of-its-kind space for Major League Baseball training facilities: an indoor half field.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 5, 2022
New Covenant House New York contains multiple services for youth in crisis
The new Covenant House New York, a crisis shelter for homeless youth in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, provides a temporary home and multiple services for young people.
Projects | Apr 1, 2022
University complex encourages exchange between academics and residents
In the small Danish city of Horsens, C.F. Møller Architects has created a university complex that unites higher education with urban life—creating synergies among students, staff, businesses, and residents
Multifamily Housing | Mar 28, 2022
Singapore’s new Irwell Hill residences will be built around heritage rain trees
The recently unveiled design of Irwell Hill, twin 36-story residence towers, calls for the development to be situated among copious greenery including preserved heritage rain trees.
Projects | Mar 24, 2022
A Hollywood home for creatives
A Hollywood development will serve as a collaborative center for artists, students, and those in the entertainment industry.
Projects | Mar 22, 2022
Fast-growing Austin adds a $3 billion community
The nation’s fastest-growing large metro area is getting even bigger, with the addition of a $3 billion, 66-acre community.
Projects | Mar 22, 2022
AREA15 to open second location in Orlando, Florida
AREA15, an immersive and experiential art, entertainment, dining and retail center, recently announced that it will open its second location in Orlando, Florida, in 2024.
Projects | Mar 22, 2022
Austin multifamily project to feature 60 micro-housing apartments
A new 34,364 sf multifamily project, Sixth and Chicon, in Austin, Texas, will feature 60 micro-housing apartments designed for “the urban minimalist.”
Projects | Mar 21, 2022
BIG-designed Danish Neuroscience Center will combine groundbreaking science and treatment
A first-of-its-kind facility, a new Danish Neuroscience Center in Aarhus, Denmark designed by BIG, will combine psychiatry and neuroscience under one roof.