The renovation of Fauquier High School consists of the replacement of an underperforming 1964 classroom building with a four-story addition that provides a range of flexible 21st-century learning spaces connected by a monumental central stair. The design of this four-story addition draws inspiration from a set of active design guidelines (first implemented by New York City in 2010) that encourages movement and active utilization of the built environment to bolster the health of students, staff, and faculty.




Renovation Strategy:

The renovation strategy unites disparate school wings into a coherent and harmonious campus. Removing an underperforming classroom wing, like clearing an obstruction from student life, creates a new central campus lawn around which all school activities gracefully congregate. Efficient as it is elegant, the addition provides a net increase in useable classroom and building area within a smaller campus footprint. Social engagement and flexible learning are prominently displayed in the addition’s four-story vertical learning environment, foregrounding a new civic presence and showcasing Fauquier County’s commitment to educational excellence.

The renovation of Fauquier High School consists of the replacement of an underperforming 1964 classroom building with a four-story addition that provides a range of flexible 21st-century learning spaces connected by a monumental central stair. The design of this four-story addition draws inspiration from a set of active design guidelines (first implemented by New York City in 2010) that encourages movement and active utilization of the built environment to bolster the health of students, staff, and faculty.




Renovation Strategy:

The renovation strategy unites disparate school wings into a coherent and harmonious campus. Removing an underperforming classroom wing, like clearing an obstruction from student life, creates a new central campus lawn around which all school activities gracefully congregate. Efficient as it is elegant, the addition provides a net increase in useable classroom and building area within a smaller campus footprint. Social engagement and flexible learning are prominently displayed in the addition’s four-story vertical learning environment, foregrounding a new civic presence and showcasing Fauquier County’s commitment to educational excellence.

A Welcoming Entrance:

Providing a welcoming public entrance, the new addition invites students, teachers, and citizens inside. Stone seat walls and a gracious front porch draw inspiration from the town of Warrenton. Local brick details and a terracotta high performance rain screen system, recalling terracotta silos throughout the county, complement the regional landscape and existing school features. While the school’s culture is carefully reflected in the design work, its enhanced atmosphere for learning and activity is also emphasized – meshing tradition with innovation.



Active Learning:

Fauquier High School’s entrance level is composed of shared school and community spaces. The four-story stairway spills into the student commons and links it to three additional floors of classroom academies. Staged to support opportunities for sitting, chatting, group work, school displays, and other chances to extend learning beyond the classroom, the stair provides much more than passage from one floor to another: it’s the life force of the school.

Situated next to a glass curtain wall, the stair is bathed in natural daylight and capitalizes on views of the surrounding county. Likewise, from the outside, the stairway is a prominent feature, showcasing various instances of learning and engagement occurring in the school.

A Welcoming Entrance:

Providing a welcoming public entrance, the new addition invites students, teachers, and citizens inside. Stone seat walls and a gracious front porch draw inspiration from the town of Warrenton. Local brick details and a terracotta high performance rain screen system, recalling terracotta silos throughout the county, complement the regional landscape and existing school features. While the school’s culture is carefully reflected in the design work, its enhanced atmosphere for learning and activity is also emphasized – meshing tradition with innovation.



Active Learning:

Fauquier High School’s entrance level is composed of shared school and community spaces. The four-story stairway spills into the student commons and links it to three additional floors of classroom academies. Staged to support opportunities for sitting, chatting, group work, school displays, and other chances to extend learning beyond the classroom, the stair provides much more than passage from one floor to another: it’s the life force of the school.

Situated next to a glass curtain wall, the stair is bathed in natural daylight and capitalizes on views of the surrounding county. Likewise, from the outside, the stairway is a prominent feature, showcasing various instances of learning and engagement occurring in the school.

Inspiring Health & Movement:

The design team drew inspiration from New York City’s Active Design Guidelines to bolster health and fitness. The monumental stair does just that, prompting stair use (and behavior change) by featuring interactive graphics about the health benefits of using stairs and data about how high-up students and staff are at any given time. Each floor in the school features a different branded color identity for wayfinding purposes along with engaging statistics related to a specific movement-based floor theme – including Healthy, Active, and Strong.

Energy Performance:

Certified LEED Gold, Fauquier High School uses a ground source heat pump system (the first in the school district) and features an energy-efficient building envelope and lighting systems. Since opening in May 2013, the school has shown a significant reduction in energy - about a 50% decrease in energy use per square foot per year. With careful planning, all work was constructed while the school was in use. Effective budgeting has sponsored significant renovations to the remainder of the school.

Inspiring Health & Movement:

The design team drew inspiration from New York City’s Active Design Guidelines to bolster health and fitness. The monumental stair does just that, prompting stair use (and behavior change) by featuring interactive graphics about the health benefits of using stairs and data about how high-up students and staff are at any given time. Each floor in the school features a different branded color identity for wayfinding purposes along with engaging statistics related to a specific movement-based floor theme – including Healthy, Active, and Strong.

Energy Performance:

Certified LEED Gold, Fauquier High School uses a ground source heat pump system (the first in the school district) and features an energy-efficient building envelope and lighting systems. Since opening in May 2013, the school has shown a significant reduction in energy - about a 50% decrease in energy use per square foot per year. With careful planning, all work was constructed while the school was in use. Effective budgeting has sponsored significant renovations to the remainder of the school.

"Our goal was to produce a school building which minimizes stress upon the earth’s environment and is pleasant and productive for the people in it.”

– Warren Darrell Director of Construction, Fauquier County Public Schools

Client: Fauquier County Public Schools

Location: Warrenton, VA

Discipline: Middle & High Schools

Completion: 2013

Size: 87,225 SF Addition and 10,950 SF Renovation

Key Team Members

Additional Resources

Fauquier High School Case Study

Awards Received

2015 Outstanding Project
Learning By Design

2015 Gold Design Award
Virginia Chapter of the Association for Learning Environments

2014 Gold Design Award
Virginia School Boards Association

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