In 2009, the PSC Board of Trustees once again selected to work with STA to design the first new building for the Winter Haven Campus in over a decade. The new single-story classroom and administration building provides a permanent home for the Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School. This charter school for 11th and 12th grade students is directed by Polk State College on their Winter Haven Campus.
As the first LEED Certified building on this campus, the project includes features such as daylight harvesting, large classroom and clerestory windows, energy recovery, native landscape design and rainwater collection cisterns. It is also the first building in Polk County to be designed using the “LEED for Schools” design guidelines.
The primary entry and circulation space is adorned with original works by famed glass artist Dale Chihuly.
Due to Straughn Trout’s national recognition in sustainable design, the Green Education Foundation requested our recommendation of a client and project to pilot their Green Building Course curriculum. PSC’s Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School accepted this phenomenal opportunity for the Fall of 2011. The program offers a web-integrated STEM curriculum connecting USGBC-based audit projects with classroom instruction.
STA worked with the faculty and GEF to prepare teaching units that are directly related to the new building’s design. GEF provided free curricula materials and textbooks for the course and the school was also eligible for additional grants and prizes.
