PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project consisted of a 265,000 sf school set on 33 acres in Spring Hill. Hernando Explorer K-8 School is based off of Challenger K-8, a prototype school completed by Ajax in 2005.

This school is a neighborhood zone school with two full floors, a partial third floor, and provisions for a future third floor. This building was constructed as a full Enhanced Hurricane Protection Area and will serve as a hurricane shelter for the county.

The main building features an elementary school wing, a middle school wing, and a central mall that houses shared services such as the administration, media center, food service area, and gymnasium. One outbuilding houses the mechanical systems while the other is for PE storage.
The structure is cast-in-place concrete columns with a PSI concrete joist system. The exterior is a brick façade with a concrete masonry backup wall. Site improvements include a sewage pump station, fire main loop, and access road. Additional site improvements to Northcliffe Blvd. widen existing lanes and add turn lanes and signalization. Site amenities such as a soccer/football field, softball field, tennis and basketball courts, playground, bus loop, and parking lots were added.