Featured Projects

Loxahatchee Groves Campus – Multi-Purpose Classroom/Administration Building

The new Loxahatchee Groves Campus consists of 75 acres and is located at the northwest corner of Southern Boulevard and B Road in western central Palm Beach County. It is formally called the Dennis P. Gallon Campus in honor of the long-term president who retired in 2015, after 18 years. This new campus provides more convenient access to classes for residents of the county’s fast growing west central communities. The project, which was completed in January 2017, consisted of site paving, drainage, utility infrastructure, and a three-story building of approximately 48,000 square feet that serves as a flexible, multi-purpose building, housing general education classrooms, computer labs, administrative staff and faculty offices, a 250-seat lecture hall, student support services, and ancillary support services. It was designed by Zyscovich Architects and constructed by Balfour Beatty Construction.

The new campus was developed with an overall approach to preserving the rural and natural beauty of the site and the community. The master plan was designed in concert with the three existing wetlands and pristine areas of cypress trees and virgin wetlands which are protected and serve as environmental assets to the campus. The master development plan in coordination with the Town of Loxahatchee Groves supports the concept of smart growth recognizing the importance of the right campus setting to foster lifelong learners who are successful and responsible citizens in a global society.

Palm Beach State College is committed to sustainable design and construction. The new campus was designed under the new 2012 International Green Construction Code. This new code creates buildings which are more efficient, reduce waste, and have a positive impact on health, safety and community welfare. Palm Beach State College will continue to lead the way with the further development of the campus to achieve the highest standard of green construction and energy efficiency possible.

Entrance to Loxahatchee Groves campus

Lounge area for students

Staircase at Lox campus

Large windows and comfy chairs make this a perfect place for studying.

Technical Education Center - Belle Glade campus

This two story 31,767 square foot building will be the first LEED Certified Project constructed at Palm Beach State College. The College is encouraging LEED Certification for all new construction projects. The design team on this project has instituted "Sustainable Design and Planning" concepts in conformance with the U.S. Green Building Council and the College Design and Construction guidelines to reduce the ecological burden and to increase energy efficiency. Our initial goal for this project was to achieve a LEED Silver Certification, however, with the expertise of the project team the college has been able to increase the project's rating points to a Gold Level. The project will be submitted for a LEED Gold Certification upon completion of the construction phase.

The new Technical Education Center (TEC) is designed to consolidate instructional training and certification for a variety of vocational programs. This building will house facilities for vocational classrooms and labs, administrative offices, student support services, and ancillary functions as well as auxiliary facilities for equipment and material storage. The building will accommodate programs in Welding, Construction Trades, Law Enforcement, and Cosmetology The new building is designed for a future addition of approximately 8,700 S.F. to accommodate new programs in Heavy Duty Truck and Bus Mechanics, and an expansion of the Welding program.

As part of this project the campus Central Energy Plant and site utility infrastructure are being remodeled to accommodate the addition of the new building and the future growth of the campus. The Central Energy Plant will require a new chilled water production system. The Belle Glade Campus is currently operating with chilled water production equipment that is over 30 years old and has reached the end of its useful life. The operating and maintenance cost for this equipment exceeds the replacement cost on a life cycle cost basis. The new site infrastructure consists of a new electrical service for the entire campus. The current electrical service has no future capacity for the chiller plant upgrade or the future campus expansion. Other site utility infrastructure requiring new construction or remodeling includes a new pressurized water main and dedicated fire service from the County's new water line on the east side of SR 715 , the extension/relocation of existing sanitary storm water and chilled water piping, a new emergency natural gas generator and natural gas service and data / telephone cabling.

Site work for the project consisted of preparation of the building pad, including the removal of unsatisfactory soils ( "de-mucking") down to the coral rock shelf and replacing the soils with crushed stone sub base for the building and paving slabs. The site work also includes new roads internal to the campus connecting the existing and new buildings and parking lots, plazas, sidewalks, walkways between buildings, new landscaping, irrigation system, fencing, and site lighting.

Front Building Elevation

View from Second Floor Balcony at Student Lounge

Exterior Building Elevation of Atrium Lobby. Low E - Insulating Impact Glass was used throughout the building to greatly reduce radiant heat transfer to the interior spaces without sacrificing light transmission and also to provide protection against hurricanes

Solar Screens on Main Lobby
Atrium Exterior Elevation

Detail of Solar Sun Screens

View from stair landing inside Lobby
Atrium looking out towards Plaza

View from Second Floor Balcony
looking at tables in Dining Area below

Interior view looking up at cascading
Specialty Ceiling inside Lobby Atrium

View from Stair Landing in
Atrium Lobby

Public Safety Training Firing Range - Lake Worth campus

The Public Safety Training Center Firing Range was completed in February 2010. The construction of this 18,725 square foot indoor firing range completed the first phase of the 147,000 square foot Public Safety Training Center Complex to be located on the northeast quadrant of the Lake Worth Campus. The project was designed by Stephen Boruff, AIA Architects + Planners, Inc. and constructed by Balfour Beatty Construction. The Firing Range Building contains a 12 lane rifle firing range, a 12 lane pistol range, a range control room, a law enforcement classroom, lobby space, office space, restrooms, storage and mechanical spaces.

Longitudinal Section thru Firing Range Building

One of two 12-Lane Firing Ranges in the Facility with a Target Line and Trap Impact Plates for collecting ammunition.

View in Firing Range looking back at Range Control Room. Lights and speakers are located above Deflection Baffles in ceiling.

Law Enforcement Classroom

West Building Elevation at twilight

View from inside the Range Control Room looking into the Firing Range.

Law Enforcement Recruits during a Training Session in the Firing Range.

Bio Science - Palm Beach Gardens campus

The Bio Science Technology Complex was completed in December of 2007 as a state-of-the-art science complex. Designed by the award winning architectural firm STH Architectural Group this two-story 91,000 square foot, $21.5 million dollar science complex features two buildings connected by a multi-media lecture hall and courtyard. One side of the buildings houses state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories for the core science classes (biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, physics and chemistry). The other part of the complex is reserved for biotech classrooms and labs, environmental science, and environmental horticulture. Based on educated estimates, Florida's biotechnology industry will generate $2.1 billion in government revenue by 2020.

The College is addressing the most pressing needs of local business and industry by training well qualified bio-technicians with intensive hands-on experience, ready to perform in a demanding environment. In the new complex, biotechnology students will experiment with cutting-edge technologies such as recombinant DNA technology, protein production and purification, and bio-manufacturing. Palm Beach State College is training lab workers to go directly into the workforce as well as students who plan to pursue science degrees.

Using the Tilt-Up method of construction, Balfour Beatty Construction was able to build this project in a quick 10-month time period, resulting in savings for the owner both in time and money. The subcontractor was able to reuse casting slabs and work in different phases in order to work within the tight space.