PROJECT 346

"THE HEIGHTS BUILDING: NEW LANDSCAPES FOR LEARNING "

Big - Bjarke Ingels Group

Conceived by the BIG-Bjarke Ingles Group and also by executive architect LEO A DALY, The Heights Building, with its many green terraces, opens on a central axis to meet the academic needs of Arlington's two school programs, creating a vertical community within of the urban context.

The Heights mixes two existing high schools along Arlington's Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, the H B Woodlawn and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Program, into a 180,000 square-foot building. Up to 775 students are expected to enroll. BIG and LEO DALY have been working in collaboration with Arlington Public Schools, Wet Rosslyn Area Plan and Arlington community since 2015. The goal is to architect education facilities that support HB Woodlawn's focused arts and visual arts curricula. as well as Shriver's vast resources for students with special educational needs. The Heights is currently on the right track to reach LEED Gold.

The Heights is located in an urban location, restricted by roads on all three sides and in part of Rosslyn Highlands Park. It was created as a cluster of five rectangular plates that revolve around a fixed junction point maintaining the sense of community and spatial effectiveness of a one-story school. The green terraces above each floor are an extension of the classroom, which creates an internal and external learning scenario for students and teachers.

The Heights is located in an urban location, restricted by roads on all three sides and in part of Rosslyn Highlands Park. It was created as a cluster of five rectangular plates that revolve around a fixed junction point maintaining the sense of community and spatial effectiveness of a one-story school. The green terraces above each floor are an extension of the classroom, which creates an internal and external learning scenario for students and teachers.

Bjark Ingels, BIG's founder and creative director, explained his inspiration: “The density of Arlington's urban neighborhood became the inspiration for the school - we ventilate classrooms to allow all floors to be connected to roof garden, upon the classrooms below. The resulting cascading terraces are connected via a curved staircase that crosses all levels - both internal and external - making all students of both programs and all ages visually and physically connected to each other. Each terrace has a landscaping that lends itself not only to students' social life, but also as informal outdoor spaces for learning.”

Inside the building is a rotating staircase that connects the four-tiered terraces to allow students to move outside and create a strong bond between the neighborhood and the school. The upper terraces are more suited to the more intimate classes and quiet study areas. The spacious first terrace and 18,700-square-foot playground serve as venues for public events and activities throughout the school and neighborhoods.

BIG partner Daniel Sundlin explains: “The Heights extends the outdoor educational experience, transforming terraces into a space where learning and play can flourish. From all floors, students and teachers can immediately connect with nature and the surrounding neighborhood, creating a 21st century school and a place for Arlington's children, parents, teachers and neighbors to gather.”

Wilson Boulevard students, faculty, and staff are welcomed into a triple-height lobby with step seating that serves as an indoor meeting space for student assemblies and public gatherings. Several common school spaces, including the 400-seat auditorium, main gym, library, reception and cafeteria, are located in the center and directly next to the lobby.

Easy accessibility to community-based programs hosted at the school encourages public interaction throughout the building, creating a welcoming environment, enhancing the visual connection between shared spaces. The art studio, science and robotics labs, music rehearsal rooms, and two performing arts theaters are other specialized student spaces.

Bjarke Ingels states: “Under the canopy of classrooms, a giant cave houses spaces for all common spaces - the theater, the sports hall, the library and the canteen - creating a multitude of spaces where students can have fun, or study - alone or in a group. The glass walls open up views between different activities, making it a three-dimensional composition in all aspects of learning and school life.”

The bars present in the classrooms are like organizing elements that surround a central vertical core and have elevators, stairs and bathrooms. As students enter the central staircase, they are greeted by a color gradient: each bar has a distinct color from the others, creating a vibrant social atmosphere from floor to sky.

Shriver is a program that offers special education for students ages 11 to 22 and fills two floors of the building that are reachable from the ground floor. It has spaces specifically dedicated to supporting the APS Functional Life Skills program, as well as privacy and ease of access to the gym, patio, occupational physiotherapy suite and sensory house. These spaces are designed to aid sensory processing.

The exterior of The Heights building is made of white glazed brick joining the five levels, highlighting the oblique angles of the classroom bars that allow the sculptural shape, energy and activity of the interior to occupy the center of the building. stage. Keeping in mind the old Wilson School and the surrounding neighborhood, the materials used in the building are a tribute to the historic architecture of Alexandria's Old Town.