Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation uniquely set to fuel student futures and Florida economy

Kirkland Ranch Academy Exterior

July 12, 2022

Social Sharing

The Tampa Bay Business Journal highlights The Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation (KRAI) and how it is uniquely calibrated as a Career and Technology Education (CTE) school set to connect students to successful careers, regardless of a college education. 

The building opened in August and offers education specific to construction, robotics, digital media, automotive repair and other disciplines important to Florida's economy. The school is structured to fuel innovation, entrepreneurship and career preparedness. 

Krai 5
Each CTE space is designed to function as a makerspace, filled with professional-grade equipment, technology and tools.
Krai 6
All circulation unfolds in an open-air interior courtyard; bridges, stairways, seating and informal gathering areas are threaded throughout the building to prompt incidental meetings, gatherings and connections.

Every space is engineered to foster community and collaboration, and one of the most prominent spaces is the two-story collaboration hub. The hub will be filled with flexible furniture to support large gatherings and smaller-scale collaboration between students and outside partners. Like every space in the building, it will be bright, open, social and reconfigurable.

CannonDesign’s Michael Kmak, one of the lead designers of the project, spoke to the Tampa Bay Business Journal about the design of the building. 

“The building is oriented in the east-west direction, which is the primary winds throughout the year in that area so that the courtyard can be cooled by natural ventilation as much as possible. All of the exterior walkways—there’s no internal corridors—are shaded by all of the glass that we put in,” said Kmak. 

Each CTE space is designed to function as a makerspace, filled with professional-grade equipment, technology and tools. “These spaces are a playground for innovation,” said Dr. Kim Moore, assistant superintendent at Pasco County Schools. “They feature the resources our students need to take what they’re learning and practically apply it. These are malleable spaces, too, capable of evolving and changing as career demands evolve.”

Education officials acknowledged the high demand for skilled workers in the local economy, yet the lack of applicants. The director of career, technical and adult education at Pasco County Schools, Lori Romano, tells the Business Journal that they have a lot of support from business partners and companies—and the school and partners are contributing to the curriculum in hopes that it will lead students to job offers. 

Krai 4
Krai 13
Krai 12

Relationships are key throughout the building, not just with the students and teachers, but with outside industry partners. Every space is engineered to foster community and collaboration, and one of the most prominent spaces is the two-story collaboration hub. The hub will be filled with flexible furniture to support large gatherings and smaller-scale collaboration between students and external partners. Like every space in the building, it will be bright, open, social and reconfigurable.