The Villages in Central Florida, one of the largest retirement communities in the U.S., is expanding its resident support to include new educational facilities. This project will include a high school, a K-8 school, and an Early Learning Center aimed at serving the children of residents who work in qualified businesses within The Villages.
The expansion of The Villages Charter School involves a high school with a four-story media tower, state-of-the-art classrooms for engineering, fine arts, business, and computer science, as well as a comprehensive sports complex and theater. The K-8 school will offer distinct spaces for elementary and middle school education, while the Early Learning Center will cater to children from infancy to VPK. These facilities will provide high-quality education facilities for many generations to come in The Villages community.
Matern Professional Engineering is responsible for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering on these extensive projects. Tad Rivenbark, Director of Matern’s Construction Administration Department, stated, "We are excited to contribute to a project that will provide unparalleled educational facilities for this community. Our team is focused on delivering innovative engineering solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and sustainability. This project is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our dedication to supporting the communities we serve."
Retirement Community Meets K-12
The project spans 383,961 sf of the high school, which includes STEM labs, CTE programs, and state-of-the-art technology. The K-8 school, covering 247,946 sf, focuses on flexible, community-based spaces, while the Early Learning Center emphasizes outdoor learning and sustainability. The new sports complex includes facilities for football, basketball, swimming, and more; it is designed with next-level sports competitions in mind.
This expansion aligns with The Villages’ commitment to fostering a vibrant, intergenerational community. With Matern Professional Engineering’s involvement, the new educational facilities will stand as a testament to innovation and excellence in school design and construction.
About Matern Professional Engineering
Matern Professional Engineering provides building systems engineering, which provides services throughout Florida in addition to several other states. The firm embodies a personalized approach that prioritizes collaboration, solutions, and project success. With four offices across Florida, the firm is licensed in Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Matern is client-focused, innovative, and driven to make a positive impact on its clients and community partners. For more information, visit https://matern.net
Related Stories
Affordable Housing | Oct 3, 2023
Standard Communities acquires six 100% affordable housing communities
These affordable housing communities total 407 units, and five of the communities are dedicated to senior living.
Affordable Housing | Sep 25, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that serve as social catalysts
Trish Donnally, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman, shares insights from three transformative affordable housing projects.
MFPRO+ Blog | Sep 21, 2023
The benefits of strategic multifamily housing repositioning
With the rapid increase in new multifamily housing developments, owners of existing assets face increasing competition. As their assets age and the number of new developments increases seemingly day-by-day, developers will inevitably have to find a way to stay relevant.
Adaptive Reuse | Aug 31, 2023
New York City creates team to accelerate office-to-residential conversions
New York City has a new Office Conversion Accelerator Team that provides a single point of contact within city government to help speed adaptive reuse projects. Projects that create 50 or more housing units from office buildings are eligible for this new program.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 24, 2023
A multifamily design for multigenerational living
KTGY’s Family Flat concept showcases the benefits of multigenerational living through a multifamily design lens.
Senior Living Design | Aug 7, 2023
Putting 9 senior living market trends into perspective
Brad Perkins, FAIA, a veteran of more than four decades in the planning and design of senior living communities, looks at where the market is heading in the immediate future.
Senior Living Design | Aug 7, 2023
7 lessons learned from 40+ years planning and designing senior living environments
Brad Perkins, FAIA, a pioneer of senior living design in the U.S. and globally offers his advice for creating the optimal living experience for the world’s aged population group.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2023
6 multifamily housing projects win 2023 LEED Homes Awards
The 2023 LEED Homes Awards winners in the multifamily space represent green, LEED-certified buildings designed to provide clean indoor air and reduced energy consumption.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 27, 2023
Number of U.S. adaptive reuse projects jumps to 122,000 from 77,000
The number of adaptive reuse projects in the pipeline grew to a record 122,000 in 2023 from 77,000 registered last year, according to RentCafe’s annual Adaptive Reuse Report. Of the 122,000 apartments currently undergoing conversion, 45,000 are the result of office repurposing, representing 37% of the total, followed by hotels (23% of future projects).
Multifamily Housing | Jul 13, 2023
Walkable neighborhoods encourage stronger sense of community
Adults who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to interact with their neighbors and have a stronger sense of community than people who live in car-dependent communities, according to a report by the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California San Diego.
