CREATING A MODEL OF SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, AND OPERATIONS OF A NEW HIGH SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

The new Glen Allen High School was built in 2010 by Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) to serve the growing student population in the Glen Allen area of Henrico County, Virginia. As a suburban area northwest of the City of Richmond, Glen Allen's population doubled between 1980 and 2000, and grew an additional 18% between 2000 and 2010. The new high school is one of nine in the county and can accommodate approximately 1,800 students and 150 staff. The school facility is located on a 95-acre parcel of land that was previously wooded and undeveloped. The facility consists of the 256,000 square-foot main school building, a field house building, concessions stand, and ticket booth to support the athletic complex. Major spaces in the school include an auditorium, gymnasium, auxiliary gymnasium, kitchen, two commons areas, media center, and a two-story academic wing.

The project design began in 2007, and was kicked off with a collaborative design charrette between representatives of HCPS, Moseley Architects, and Timmons Group (Civil Engineers). During the charrette, the programming needs of the building were discussed, the site plan was evaluated, and participants experimented with space adjacencies that helped begin the development of a floor plan. From the priorities discussed in the charrette, the group developed this project vision statement: We will design a new high school that provides our community with a safe, innovative, adaptable, state-of-the-art facility that will create a functional and efficient learning environment, embodying responsible environmental values.

The project design team consisted of Moseley Architects (Architecture, Interior Design, and Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineering), Timmons Group (Civil Engineering), Stewart Acoustical (Acoustical Consultants), Facility Dynamics (Commissioning Agent), and Foodservice Consultants Studio (Food Service). For construction, KBS (General Contractor) and Rappahannock Construction Company, Inc. (Site Contractor) were added to the team, along with many subcontractors.