City of Fairfax, Virginia
Fairfax High School Fairfax academy for communications & the arts
The modernization of Fairfax High School includes renovations and additions to the largest building footprint in the City of Fairfax. The project involves the selective demolition and reconstruction of the existing 1972 facility (which totals over 340,000 square feet), and the additions of classrooms, administration, athletics, and fine arts spaces compromising approximately 72,800 square feet. The school has a core capacity of 2,200 students. 600 additional students are enrolled in an academy program for “communication arts.” Dance, production video and digital media arts are but a few of the academie’s programs.
Introduction “Every Space is a Teaching Space”; with this vision statement the school utilizes broadband hardwired and wireless technologies to affect instructional delivery. Commons areas become alive with socializing, mentoring and
“It creates an atmosphere in which it is easy to aspire to great things.”
learning. The widened corridors create gathering spaces for lockers, individual studying spaces, laptop wi-fi sitting areas, and peer to peer learning. School colors are proudly displayed throughout and are most important in a high school environment to evoke a sense of community. Classrooms and shared public areas are now day lit. “The most startling change is in the ambience of the building. As you come in our main entrance, there is an incredible amount of light and color that immediately greets and inspires you. It creates an atmosphere in which it is easy to aspire to great things. The renovation also benefits our educational community by creating space for collaboration for our faculty and staff. We now have large staff planning areas that are meeting places and offices for our faculty and staff. One of our goals for the school is to expand our professional learning communities to enhance student and faculty learning. The renovation has accelerated this process by providing a physical environment conducive to collaboration.” Scott Braband, Principal
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The Process The design process was a collaboration of the School Board, school personnel, interested parents and the architect. It was one of evolution and the utilization of design strategies and programmatic concepts and requirements deemed imperative to the overall success of the Project. Focusing the highest priority on solving the academic needs of the school first, the phasing of the project renovated core classroom space and added new science labs at the outset of the process. The existing monotonous and disorienting interior spaces of the facility’s classrooms and hallways combined with the existing building’s uninspiring and windowless exterior demanded an architectural response to transform the very nature of the building as a whole. Through extensive use of transparent materials and more generous spatial planning, BeeryRio’s design not only enlivened classrooms, but also creates other places for gathering, conversation, and study. Areas for displays of artwork are incorporated into the building, which enjoy natural light and improved circulation and “wayfinding.” The design greatly heightens the physical fabric of the school, thereby achieving the goal that “every space is a teaching space.”
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Site Plan Alterations
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Improvements to the overall school include an upgrade of all building systems to create a 21st century school, comply with building code as well as Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Site improvements are designed to comply with current parking, bus loading, and storm water management requirements imposed by the City of Fairfax. Before
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Floor Plans Before
Materials & Building Systems • Masonry bearing wall construction
• Glass curtain wall and storefront assemblies • Ribbed metal wall cladding systems • Sloped metal roof system • Sprayed foam ureathane roofing system
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• Multi-zone roof top units • Terrazzo lobby flooring • Pigmented concrete entry plaza • Wi-Fi access throughout
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Second floor 2 15 8
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Art Academy Administration Business Cafeteria English Foreign Language Main Entry Marketing Math
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Media Center Music Physical Education Recital Hall (Alternative Bid) Science Social Science Special Education Theater Vocational Education Weight Room (Alternative Bid)
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Main Entrance The original building did not have a distinct main entrance making it difficult for visitors to find their way. The single story building also did not have a street presence to those passing by the facility. Security in the old building was also an issue with the absense of windows and the main entrance being so confusing and not well defined. In order to create a street presence and insure that the main entrance was identifiable, the designers created a two story entrance of glass and steel that serves as a beacon to those approaching the new building. The new entrance increases visability for the main office staff allowing them to have better security for the entrance to the building. All visitors must pass by the new administrative suite. Wayfinding is reinforced in the site design with the use of an organizing vehicular island on axis with the rotated entry element. Flag pole locations give further strength to this alignment. Now as students, staff and visitors approach the school a better sense of security is in place with the ability to “see and be seen.�
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Main Lobby The Main Lobby was perceived as the Introduction or Prologue, inviting one into this revitalized educational facility. It is the focal point, as it is where an individual receives their first impression or cues as to the importance of the building and what it conveys about the activities that occur behind its walls for students, faculty and the public. It has been designed as a grand space, with the appropriate scale, materials, colors and textures to emphasize the importance of education within society. A true sense of school community spirit is generated by celebrating the use of school colors and the schools logo inset in the terrazo flooring. The size and volume of the space stress some of the intangibles of this entry portal while providing a space that takes on multiple roles, including a formal meeting area, an art display for both student and public works, and an overflow for the existing Auditorium, which is constantly in use for both scholastic and community venues.
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Media Center To gain the appropriate academic space throughout the existing building, it was decided that barren corners of the site would be infilled with single story additions. Due to the consequence of space requirements for the current educational specification for classroom space the existing media center would be relocated and replaced with classrooms as well. The media center space evolved into a more prominent, community (both school & local resident) friendly and accessible location. It was decided that the media center and many of it’s ancillary spaces would be assembled over the administrative and guidance areas of the building, providing for an outstanding presence at the main entry where it would be easily controlled, naturally well-lit and made further important with it’s raised volume. The new media center provides a fitting repository for the written and electronically accessible collection of materials and information necessary and valuable in the research and education process compulsory for life long learning.
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“Every space is a teaching space.”
Classrooms & Labs
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Cafeteria
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Gymnasium & Auditorium
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Conclusion The re-invented school is perceived among the school’s students, staff and larger community as a successfully designed and implemented education facility lending an aura of vitality and sophistication to a once monotonous, uninspiring and disorienting community based facility with the tenets of higher education at its core.
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8001 Braddock Road, 4th floor Springfield, Virginia 22151 t. 703.426.9057 f. 703.426.9280 www.beeryrio.com