Creative Brief

In our interview with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), CMTA employed an innovative marketing approach to secure the contract for a high-performance prototype elementary school. Having little experience in the district, our team knew we needed to go above and beyond to prove we were the best engineering firm for the job. We not only needed to demonstrate our sustainable design expertise but also our understanding of the district’s needs. Thus, CMTA produced a bilingual children’s book to communicate our value proposition to the selection committee. Based on our knowledge of the district’s demographics, we translated the book into the local Spanish dialect to increase accessibility. Alongside the physical copy, an interactive digital version of the book was available through a QR code.

Building on our experience developing interactive building dashboards for K-12 clients, this creative approach allowed us to explain the impact of building systems on occupants, as well as our approach to K-12 design, in a simple format to the project selection committee members—many of whom had no technical expertise. The book outlines our wellness and energy efficiency strategies, covering key topics like daylighting, indoor air quality, renewable energy, and strategic building orientation—all on a 4^th-5^th grade reading level.

Through this initiative, we demonstrated our green design expertise and innovative approach to using the school building itself as a dynamic teaching tool. Our creative and thoughtful strategy resonated with the committee, earning us our first project with MDCPS and laying a foundation for future collaboration.