Congratulations to RLF’s Interior Design practice for receiving two IIDA Florida Central Chapter Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) –The Moore Center for Excellence (Education Category) and the Camp Lejeune Dental Clinic (Government Category). Projects are recognized for their overall design quality, originality of the design solution, and the integration of interior finishes and furnishings that successfully reinforce the design intent.
The Moore Center for Excellence - Education Category
The new Bishop Moore Center for Excellence represents a turning point in the history of the private Catholic high school establishing a legacy project that combines the school’s robust athletics program, new STEM curriculum, and alumni center—all under one roof.
Guided by its Catholic heritage, the 27,000-square-foot Center integrates elements of traditional and modern architecture creating a landmark design that corresponds with the character of the campus while reflecting a contemporary spirit. With very tight site constraints, the design solution wedges the building between the football and baseball fields and angles its placement converting “dead space” into a premier viewing stage for the Hornets Athletics program and creating a gateway building that elevates athletics, academics, and community.
Because of the school’s rich history, branding and identity were crucial to part of the project. Signage, graphics, patterns, and colors create a sense of pride and “place” for all to identify with.
The internal organization of the program connects students, athletes, alumni, and visitors with the outdoors. Large glass windows envelop the building giving occupants views of nature and pouring natural light in to create an environment that encourages learning and promotes healthy living. The Center introduces a new era of academia to the school with interdisciplinary courses in biomedical, computer science, aeronautics, engineering and robotics offered. Flexible classrooms feature movable desks and chairs, and stadium-style lecture halls foster an innovative environment for teacher-student collaboration. For athletes, state-of-the-art fitness spaces reinforce the school's high-performance standards, Catholic motifs offer inspiration, and a tunnel provides secure access to and from play fields. A retail spirit store located in the Center boosts school pride for the Hornet nation. The second-floor alumni center celebrates the school's culture and identity with a curated history display of the robust athletics program. Flanked by balconies, the Alumni Center overlooks adjacent fields providing the ideal venue for engagement and fundraising.
Reflecting the school’s vision of one space dedicated to academics, athletics, and community, the new Center for Excellence has become the heart of the campus, inspiring maximum engagement and providing optimal community and financial value for the school.
Camp Lejeune Dental Clinic - Government Category
Located adjacent to a historic district in Hadnot Point, the new 70,126 square-foot dental clinic at Camp Lejeune accommodates 45,000 active-duty military personnel in their mission to maximize dental readiness and health for Marines and Sailors. Before the new clinic was built, users had to travel between multiple buildings spread across the base for treatment and education. The design solution consolidates services into one compact H-shaped floorplan that reduces foot traffic, and maintains on-stage/off-stage circulation patterns, separating visitor and staff paths of travel.
While the clinic’s exterior design reflects Traditional and Georgian architectural influences prominent throughout the 1940’s campus, the interior design provides a modern and upscale environment that speaks to multi-generational military personnel. The expansive two-story lobby serves as the main focal point that allows natural light to flood in and offers views of nature to visitors. The design blends dark wood panels and faux-marble patterning with contemporary lighting accents, all working together to achieve a modern look within traditional design constraints. Classrooms and common spaces are centrally located for easy access by base personnel without compromising the safety of visitors and building occupants.
The result combines treatment and education into a two-story compact functional space that meets operational needs, provides an upscale modern aesthetic, and meets a government initiative for sustainability achieving LEED Silver certification.