Henrico Schools’ new environmental center will be the first public K-12 ‘living building’ in the world

There are only 30 “living buildings” in the world – the ultimate measure of environmental sustainability according to the International Living Future Institute. But Henrico Schools plans to add another building to that list.

The Henrico School Board approved schematic designs on Aug. 22 for a new Center for Environmental Science and Sustainability, which is set to open at the end of 2026. The building, located on the 62-acre Wilton Farm site in the Varina District, will be used on a regular basis by students in Varina High School’s environmental studies specialty program as well as by HCPS students of all grade levels for field trips and outdoor learning.

Not only will the new center be just the second living building in Virginia, it also will be the first public K-12 living building in the world. Following the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, the building will produce all of its own energy and water through on-site solar panels and rainwater cisterns, generating virtually no waste.

“This is just a testament to the commitment of HCPS and wanting to truly express our commitment to sustainability,” school board member Madison Irving (Three Chopt District) said. “I think the building is a beacon of what public spaces not only could be but should be…and I’m glad to see that it’s opening quicker than I would’ve expected given something of this quality.”

The 11,500 square-foot building will be located on a clearing next to Whale Lake and nearby the James River. The 62-acre site will include a number of “stations” where students can explore different environmental features, including a lake station with a dock, a creek station, upland and lowland forest stations, and an urban farming area.

The site will also feature a small orchard for students to plant new trees with a small scale wind turbine in the center, a pollinator garden, an outdoor classroom area, and a bioswale – a vegetated area that redirects and filters stormwater.

“Both the landscape and the building include features intentionally designed to spark curiosity and serve as a living laboratory,” said Laura Gwyn, the managing director of Perkins&Will, the architectural firm contracted by HCPS to design the building. “The project models responsible use of the land, the water, and energy and materials to the highest levels possible.”

The building itself will be designed to resemble a bird’s wings when seen through the aerial view, Gwyn said, with one half of the roof being a “green roof” covered with native plants and the other half covered by solar panels. The two-story building will also have landscape planters that naturally filter rainwater and a large rainwater cistern.

The upper level of the building will have four classrooms – two science classrooms and two flex classrooms – for about 100 students and a commons area, along with an administrative wing, an outside deck area, two screened-in porches, and one main entryway and lobby, which will be the only entry point to the building. Large floor-to-ceiling windows will allow for lots of natural light and a view of the lake.

The lower level will be a mostly outdoor “messy level” for wet boots, field equipment, and even canoes, Gwyn said. Along with a storage area for gear, the lower level will have restrooms with composting toilets and a glass-enclosed water treatment room where all water used in the building will be purified.

Construction of the building will also include many materials salvaged and reused from other projects in the districts, such as old gym floors that will be used for interior wood paneling.

“This is a really, really good thing that we’re doing here,” school board member Ryan Young (Fairfield District) said. “I heard lake access, wind turbines, solar panels, no waste generated, the use of recycled materials to create the building. And protecting our environment has become increasingly important.”

The project is budgeted to cost $16.3 million using funds from the county’s 2022 bond referendum, and HCPS has decided to use an “at-risk” construction manager to help choose materials and methods that will keep the project within the budget.

But with all of the different features embedded in the building design, HCPS will need to focus on keeping construction costs from exceeding the set budget, school board member Marcie Shea (Tuckahoe District) said. The division has already dedicated $340.5 million to other current construction projects through the 2022 bond referendum.

“I know this is a significant investment for us,” Shea said. “We have skyrocketing school construction costs, so that’s definitely top of mind with all of our construction projects.”

HCPS officials hope to finalize the building design in June, with construction set to begin immediately after and finish in November 2026. The building will open to students the following month.

Once it is completed, the building likely will be occupied on a daily basis by students of all grade levels, and even by community members after school hours, HCPS Superintendent Amy Cashwell said.

“The first most natural connection is for our high school students at Varina, for this to be their school, their place to be and learn and explore and put their program into action outdoors,” Cashwell said. “But I would suspect that whether it’s teacher professional learning on-site or student field trips at all grade levels, that it will be a bustling, active place.”

* * *

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s Report for America Corps member and education reporter. Her position is dependent upon reader support; make a tax-deductible contribution to the Citizen through RFA here.