The Zyscovich school of the future

Primary education facilities are at face value, a place to teach children but according to the team at Zyscovich, they can be much more.

Primary schools are economic drivers, community definers and a breeding ground for innovation and stimulation, or at least they should be.

Perhaps not widely known in the Tampa region, yet, Zyscovich has been in the design and architecture world for 43 years. Based in Miami, the company also has offices in New York, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Bogotá, Colombia.

Tampa West River

Established by Bernard Zyscovich, the firm has vast experience with projects in retail, commercial, multi-family and mixed-use developments. They are currently working on the Tampa West River Project.

“We think Tampa is a bright star in the economy,” says Jose Murguido, a partner at Zyscovich.

The national firm opened a regional office in Tampa in 2020. With a physical footprint in Tampa, the team is excited to bring what they call the Zyscovich Education Studio concept to educational facilities in the Tampa Bay area.

“They’re tired of concrete boxes,” Alex Perez, Tampa’s regional director, says.

Their major focus is creating net-zero schools, post-pandemic schools and economic engine schools.

With Tampa’s explosive growth, the team at Zyscovich is confident that the community will be getting these model schools in due time.

“We had a really good meeting with the Hillsborough County school district,” Murguido says. “We’re excited about bringing this to Tampa,”

Here’s a breakdown of what those schools could look like:

Net-zero schools

These schools are designed, and built, to be self-sustaining, for example installing solar panels to help cut energy costs.

The less money spent on buildings the more money is available for teachers, supplies, technology and other assets to stimulate education.

“You can still build a high-quality building for an affordable price,” Murguido says.

An example of this type of facility can be found at Canoe Creek K-8 in St. Cloud.

Post-pandemic schools

These schools are designed to create educational environments in the post COVID world and beyond. Some of the features these schools have are bi-polar ionization, which is technology in HVAC systems that take oxygen from the air and convert it into atoms that are supposed to counteract harmful substances like mold, allergens and airborne viruses, such as COVID.

These schools also have compartmentalized comfort zones. Or a fancy way of saying, spaces that allow for social-distancing.

An example of this can be found at Grove Park Elementary in Palm Beach Gardens. (Pictured above)

Economic engine schools

“We build schools that are economic engines of the community they’re in,” Murguido says.

These schools are created with the environment and STEM learning in mind. Using top standards in engineering and technology.

An example of this school can be found at Galaxy Elementary in Boynton Beach, the first LEED Platinum Certified school in Florida. ♦

You May Also Like

Great Places and Spaces: Coquina Cabanas (RENDERINGS)

Coquina Cabanas, a 13-unit townhome community, has been proposed for 3850 Pompano Drive, St. Petersburg. Coquina Cabanas townhomes will feature a split-level layout, with three stories. The units will have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms with nearly 2,500 square feet of living space. Pricing for the homes is reported to start at

20 Questions with Linda Olson

Linda Olson, is the chief executive officer and founder of Tampa Bay Wave, an accelerator that has supported 480 startups since 2013. Collectively, these startups have raised more than $760 million and have created more than 4,400 jobs. To date, Olson has raised $14 million from sponsors, donors, foundations and various grants. Olson began her

Mansions on the Market: Modern island estate (PHOTOS)

List price: $3,475,000 Address: 654 Snug Is, Clearwater Specs: 4 bedrooms | 4.5 bathrooms | 3,560 square feet Details: This Island Estates home has an open concept floorplan, enhanced by contemporary design throughout, and is a Smart Home, illuminated by natural light in every room.  Picture windows bring the outside in and showcase the surrounding

20 Questions with Beth Cahill

Beth Cahill is president and chief executive officer at Windsor Capital, which has offices located in Los Angeles, Tampa and London. After attending the University of Florida, Cahill began her career with Chemical Bank, in New York, transitioning from traditional listed securities portfolio management to institutional private company investment banking, with Alliance Capital.  Before joining

Other Posts

USF receives a $1.5 million grant to develop an app that identifies climate risks in coastal communities

The University of South Florida has received a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant which will allow researchers at the university to develop an application to identify flood risks. The app will combine volunteered geographic information and community crowdsourced data such as photos, and videos, with near real-time data on flooding. Using dynamic modeling and

How Steve Frey created the ‘Airbnb for Business’ and his plans to bring the offering directly to consumers

Steve Frey has had a ‘meh’ opinion of the corporate world from an early age. He watched his father, after many years with an employer, experience a layoff and it stuck with him.  This inspired him to want to be an entrepreneur and not rely on corporate America to take care of him and his

Is a DBA the new MBA? 

In the early 1900s, businesses were growing larger, and more complex, with more employees working in more varied divisions across more geographical boundaries. From this growth, demand for people who had training in managing business operations grew, which led to the creation, and demand, of the master of business administration degree. Today, knowledge is one

Mansions on the Market: Rosemary Arts & Design District Condo (PHOTOS)

Address: 1350 Fifth St., No. 301, Sarasota List price: $1.85 million Specs: 3 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | 1,928 square feet Details: This condo is in the Rosemary Arts & Design District. Enjoy easy access to trendy cafes, restaurants, art galleries, cultural venues and more, all within walking distance from your home. You can also