Mountain View Upper Elementary School will be the first new ground-up school to be built by ACPS in almost 30 years, serving Albemarle County’s southern feeder pattern and reducing chronic overcrowding. Adjacent to the existing Mountain View Elementary, the new three-story school occupies a gently sloping ,16-acre site and enjoys magnificent views to Carters’ Mountain. The compact, high-performance building is designed to be net-zero energy ready, and offers abundant daylight and views to nature, promotes health and well-being, and supports the diverse needs of every student.

The fully accessible building steps down with the site, offering ground-level access on two floors; the northern main entry / car drop-off is located on the mid-level and the southern dining entry / bus loop accesses the lower level. A North-South circulation spine with open stairs connecting all floors serves whole-school shared spaces including the administration and health suite, a competition gymnasium, library, student services, and the dining commons which opens to a covered outdoor dining terrace and play spaces beyond.

Extending from the main spine are two three-story learning wings forming a learning courtyard that opens to playgrounds to the east. Ground-level classrooms include doors directly to the courtyard, where terraced seating and landscape support outdoor learning and play. Walking and biking paths create a site circuit that extends to the adjacent neighborhood, connecting rain gardens, a forest preserve, soccer field, and a native meadow.