South Florida Autism Charter School

Hialeah, Florida

Firm

Civica, LLC

Client

South Florida Autism Charter Schools Inc.

Area

60,750 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$13,371,160

Completion Date

04/2021

Miami in Focus

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Design Team
Rolando Llanes, AIA (Principal-in-Charge); Ivan Fajardo (Senior Associate/Project Manager); Rudy Castillo (Architectural Associate); Sheila Corzo (Support Staff)

South Florida Autism Charter School is dedicated to providing education and therapeutic services to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders who reside in Miami-Dade or Broward counties. The school serves students who have communication deficits or behavioral challenges and who may require training in self-help skills.

The two-story classroom facility is part of a five-acre, suburban campus that serves 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and individuals up to 21 years of age. The facility has typical classrooms, training rooms, independent living rehearsal spaces, offices, and ancillary functions.

The school’s plan is organized along a central circulation spine that connects administrative, social, and therapeutic program elements with the linear, two-story classroom wing.

A linear outdoor recreation space provides a layer of separation from the busy roadway to the building’s south. Both the internal simplicity of the plan organization and external forms create a physical environment centered on clarity and flexibility, enabling staff to mold spaces to each student’s unique needs.

Bright, colorful surface treatments at vertical circulation elements are derivative of the organization’s brand symbol, creating an internal and external ensemble of playful and memorable forms and spaces.