Our design reflects and supports the school's emphasis on the "promotion of well-being" in multicultural communities and the preparation of the next generation of leaders in education. The teaching and learning department, education and psychological studies department and exercise and sports science department are consolidated in the new facility.

Early in the planning process, we conducted visioning sessions and group interviews with faculty and administration to ensure that state-of-the-art curriculum ideas informed our planning efforts. The new building houses offices and modular classrooms for the school's three departments, flexible lecture spaces, a counseling clinic for off-campus clients and a research laboratory for fitness and applied physiology.

The school showcases innovative teaching and learning environments and is a model for the creation of sustainable schools and healthy communities. The environment is open and welcoming for students and faculty as well as partners from the school system, non-profits and health and human service agencies. The main lobby atrium with display screens, a rooftop terrace and open-air breezeway with café and seating areas foster community and create spaces for informal gathering and informal exchange of ideas.

Situated at the eastern border of the Coral Gables campus, the facility is convenient for both student and community access. The building's orientation minimizes the solar envelope heat gain and captures wind to create more livable outdoor spaces in the hot and humid climate.