School Board of St. Lucie County
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of the Arts Historical Rehabilitation and Additions
Ft. Pierce, Florida
Scope:
Florida Architects, Inc. was contracted to redesign and revise the construction documents for the historic rehabilitation/renovation and addition to the Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts, originally constructed in 1914.
The project was funded in part by the State of Florida, Department of Historical Resources and is managed by the Florida Department of Management Services on behalf of the School Board of St. Lucie County.
The school serves as the county magnet school for music, dance, the visual arts and the performing arts for children in grades three through eight. Future plans include expanding the student base through grade twelve. The school also includes an auditorium with an original balcony, which is also for use by the community.
Renovation is always a challenge, particularly when discovering more than 80 years of undocumented changes. In addition to updating the historical building to current codes and standards it was a huge task to design additions to flow seamlessly from the existing structure, including roof and all exterior connections. The design had to match the historical context of the existing structure, but ensure that it is recognizable as a new addition.
FLA worked closely with the CM and DMS to ensure adherence to schedule, GMP and the many changes to the original design already under construction.
