Project Description
As public school systems across the nation strive to improve retention, graduation rates, and student success long term, Henderson County’s Innovative High School represents a shared vision to provide greater opportunities to their students. This groundbreaking facility is located on the Blue Ridge Community College campus and houses two innovative schools, Early College High School and the Career Academy. A light-filled commons area greets students, teachers, and visitors with clean lines, modern colors, and a variety of seating arrangements. These varied seating options promote group work, independent study, dining, or social time during which students from different schools may engage with each other.
The architectural solution is a large, transparent volume of the commons area stitches together two programmatic bars, which meet in an “L” shape. One bar houses the Early College High School and the other bar houses the Career Academy, each integrating a mix of classroom and instruction space with flexibility for varied layouts and learning styles. A bridge spans the common space, serving both as a walkway and a source of connectivity between the programs. The building’s form and position fosters indoor-outdoor connectivity, with sweeping southern views, a dining porch, a terraced landscape, and a large multipurpose field.