Lee Middle School

C.T. Hsu + Associates was selected by the Orange County School Board to provide design services for Lee Middle School which has served the College Park neighborhood since 1957. The firm developed a master plan for the iconic school that features a courtyard-style design to create a greater sense of community for the 17.6-acre campus. Visual and physical relationships between buildings and spaces within the campus were given new breath. Vehicular access and parking issues were improved by segregating users and redirecting traffic. Target capacity was met at 1,215 students.

Only six of 13 original buildings remained as part of the new Lee Middle School plan. Almost 60,000-square-feet of existing space was renovated, and 73,500-square-feet of new construction as well as 20 new modular classrooms were added. The material palette was kept simple and cost effective with painted tilt-wall panels with embedded thin brick details to match existing brick. Windows are lightly tinted with clear anodized frames. The interiors are lively with coordinated accent colors and flooring identifying team spaces, floor levels and buildings.