PROJECT  Alexandria City High School: Minnie Howard Campus

ARCHITECT  Perkins Eastman

LOCATION  Alexandria, Virginia, US​

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  7/14/2024

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Principal in Charge: Sean O'Donnell; Design Principal: Omar Calderon Santiago; Project Manager: Ken Terzian; Project Architect: Huyen Nguyen; Designer: Lina Taheri; Support staff/Lighting design: Sogol Alesafar
OWNER/CLIENT  Alexandria City Public Schools
CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Gilbane Building Co.; Derek DiPiazza
PHOTOGRAPHER  Judy Davis
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Kimley-Horn; Kyle Bollinger
CIVIL ENGINEER Kimley-Horn; Kyle Bollinger
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER  Ehler-Bryan, Inc.; Tom Bouffard
MECHANICAL ENGINEER  CMTA Inc.; Kevin Mussler
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER  CMTA, Inc.; Kevin Mussler
CONSULTANT  Acoustics: Polysonics Corp
CONSULTANT  Geotech/Haz Mat: ECS Mid-Atlantic
CONSULTANT  Specifications: Heller & Metzger
CONSULTANT  Cost Estimator: Downey & Scott
CONSULTANT  Pool Planning & Design: Aquatic Design Group
CONSULTANT  Food Service: Nyikos-Garcia Foodservice
CONSULTANT  Community Outreach: DP Consultants
CONSULTANT  Envelope/Life Safety: Wiss, Janney, Elstner
CONSULTANT  Archaeology: Commonwealth Heritage Group
CONSULTANT  

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  
The reimagined Minnie Howard Campus of Alexandria City High School (ACHS) brings Alexandria City Public Schools’ Equity for All 2025 vision to life through an inclusive, high-performance learning environment that transforms the student experience. Part of the Connected High School Network, the new campus expands opportunities high school students citywide, allowing equitable access to innovative programs, curricula, and student life.

Replacing a former elementary school that served as a ninth-grade academy, the new five-story building offers interdisciplinary, project-based learning spaces for all high school grades. Students can select new academies supported by student-centered “academic neighborhoods”—each integrating classrooms, extended learning areas, teacher collaboration spaces, and student services. At the heart of the building is the Creative Commons, a multi-story atrium that redefines the traditional school experience by fostering engagement, movement, and connectivity.

The Creative Commons reimagines the traditional institutional cafeteria, to disperse more intimate dining areas across every level, creating a more welcoming, student-centered ambiance. These spaces double as informal study and collaboration zones tied to adjacent arts, science, and Career & Technical Education labs. Counseling services are similarly decentralized—counselors are embedded throughout the building to promote greater visibility, engagement, and access.

The campus is also a vital hub for the broader Alexandria community. A state-funded Teen Wellness Center, operated by the Alexandria Health Department, and a city-run Family Resource Center, provide critical support services for students and families. A 100-student Early Childhood Center—offering Head Start programming—further activates the campus as an intergenerational resource. After school hours, the City’s Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities enables active public use of its gym, aquatic center, and outdoor fields.

The design prioritizes sustainability as integral to student well-being and civic responsibility. In alignment with Alexandria’s Green Building Policy, the building targets Net Zero Energy through a series of integrated strategies. These include a compact, daylight-optimized building form; high-performance glazing; sun-shading elements with photovoltaic panels; and a significantly expanded geothermal energy system. A strict energy budget guided every design decision, enabling the school to dramatically reduce its environmental footprint while improving indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and acoustics for students and staff.

By merging educational innovation with holistic wellness and sustainability, the Minnie Howard Campus redefines what a public high school can be—welcoming, empowering, and resilient. As part of the Connected High School Network, it acts as both a springboard for student success and a cornerstone of community resilience.

The result is a forward-thinking learning environment rooted in equity, that responds expansively to the needs and aspirations of its community, and that prepares students for lifelong achievement, civic engagement, and healthier, more connected lives.

JURY COMMENTS (If applicable)

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)
1. Designed to actively engage the community and dramatically enhance the student experience. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
2. Designed to actively engage the community and dramatically enhance the student experience. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
3. The "Creative Commons" is a five-story atrium that integrates social and academic space within a singular collegiate atmosphere. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
4. Set back to create a gracious entry quadrangle, the verticality of the campus optimizes its compact site. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
5. Providing a greatly enhanced and student-centered ambiance for dining and socialization, these spaces become extensions of the surrounding arts, science, and Career and Technical Education spaces during the school day. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
6. Extended learning spaces enhance the student experience and enable the adjacent CTE spaces to spill out into this "Creative Commons." © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
7. The 12-lane competition pool and an instructional pool welcome both school and community use. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
8. In addition to classrooms for traditional academic curriculum, the school design accommodates enhanced Career and Technical Education pathways, with links to local industries in fields like renewable energy, aerospace, cyber-security, and surgical tech. © Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer