Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) Terra Environmental Research Institute

Our subsidiary, OHLA Building, Inc., served as construction manager on this $35 million project, building a new magnet high school situated on a 17-acre site. The contract called for 150,000 square feet of new construction and 18,000 square feet of remodeling. The school has three magnet academies: Biomedical Research, Robotics & Engineering, and Environmental Research. It houses over 1,800 students and consists of five buildings designed around a shared courtyard.

The project scope included the construction of a three-story classroom and vocational building, six science laboratories, a media center, a cafeteria and kitchen, and remodeling of an existing science wing to create a new physical education building with locker facilities and a gym with indoor courts.

TERRA was designed as an Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area (EHPA) facility and was the first LEED School for the client. It was built as an eco-friendly prototype and a green laboratory for students. The lobby houses a real-time display that shows energy consumption savings. The building Achieved LEED™ Gold Certification.