The Heights School

The Heights Building Site — The compact urban site is bounded by roads on three sides. Along 18th Street, the site shares a common edge with Rosslyn Highlands Park.

Manipulated Ground Plane — The ground plane manipulations create circulation and daylight benefits for the school. Two sunken courtyards provide naturally lit outdoor spaces while the entrances serve as small public parks.

Site Objective — A vertical stack of classroom bars stretches across the center of the site, creating a protective barrier between the aesthetic field and the busy urban corridor of Wilson Boulevard.

Cascading Terraces — To create green space by the classrooms, the bars rotate around a single hinge point which creates 4 terraces from the education spaces to the recreation field. The first terrace is public when school is closed.

Rotating Stair Connection — A rotating staircase cuts through the interior to connect the four-tiered terraces, allowing students to circulate outside, forging a stronger bond between the neighborhood and the school.

Urban Terraced Landscape — The terraces provide different scales of activity, from large gatherings to class-size discussions, giving the opportunity for an urban school to have a 1-story feel.

Manipulated Ground Plane — The ground plane manipulations create circulation and daylight benefits for the school. Two sunken courtyards provide naturally lit outdoor spaces while the entrances serve as small public parks.

Public Spaces Towards Wilson — A generous lobby invites the public inside for community-oriented programs hosted throughout the building. The gymnasium and auditorium are centrally located to the lobby.

In-Between Spaces — Larger communal spaces, incl. cafeteria, library, and music rooms are easily accessible from the central space. The library is above the gym and the music rooms are above the theater.

PLAN LEVEL 4

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

PLAN LEVEL 2

PLAN LEVEL 1

ROOF TOP PLAN

PLAN LEVEL 3