In its first foray into the central Florida school market, Zyscovich Architects is transforming Orlando’s outdated Westridge Middle School into a contemporary, sustainably designed “new” campus.

Selected to design the school’s comprehensive campus replacement and renovation, Zyscovich will incorporate numerous sustainable elements into the building.  Upon completion, Westridge Middle School will be a fully redesigned, environmentally “green” 150,000 SF new phased replacement building with approximately 20,000 SF of renovated interior space. 

Westridge Middle School was originally constructed in 1973 with a gym addition completed in 1982.  The redesign will bring it up to current Orange County Public School (OCPS) and Florida Department of Education (FDOE) facility standards.  It also will allow the campus to meet Florida class-size reduction mandates and comply with statutes requiring that new schools and state buildings embrace sustainable, green technology.

In addition to designing a phased replacement of the existing school on an occupied campus, the Zyscovich team faced other challenges when conceptualizing a replacement design, including a site similar in size to those in urban settings.

The final design will include traffic pattern modifications to separate bus, parent and delivery traffic with safe access for students who bike or walk to school.  New exterior spaces will provide courtyards, physical education fields, sidewalks, parking and service areas.  Inside, there will be new labs, classrooms, a multi-purpose room, a media center, and an administrative suite, with a well defined entry to the building for students, parents, and visitors.  The existing gymnasium will be converted into an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA), able to provide safe shelter for residents in times of a critical event.  Following the one-year period during which the existing building serves as a swing elementary school, it will be demolished to make way for the track, new ball fields and courts.