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Rocktown High School — Next Generation Education

Harrisonburg, Virginia

client

Harrisonburg City Public Schools

size

220,000 sf; 1,200 students

type

New Construction

stats

Public Private Partnership

Operating with only a single overloaded high school, the growing City of Harrisonburg, VA recognized the need to provide their community with a second high school facility to relieve student overcrowding and enhance and support the School Board's goals.

To creatively empower students, celebrate learning and the diverse community that they serve, and to leverage every opportunity available to reinforce the notion that education can happen everywhere in a learner-centric way.

This new Next Gen High School will expand course offerings and opportunities for their diverse student and community population. Grimm + Parker entered into a modified Public-Private-Partnership agreement with local contractor, Nielsen Builders, Inc. to lead a collaborative programming and design effort with the School Board and their stakeholders groups.

Harrisonburg HS 2.mp4

Harrisonburg HS 2.mp4

Adaptability

Common work zones and spaces are designed throughout to allow for a variety of group sizes for project collaborations. Spaces are designed to be flexible and transformable to support student presentation, performance, and active learning using a diverse spectrum of learning modalities; not just for today's student-learners, but for those far into the twenty-first century.

Flexible Spaces

G+P led a comprehensive programming effort that resulted in a new school Ed Spec program that forges a path more engrained in STEM and CTE programming.  In the future, the existing high school will be re-developed with a stronger focus on the performing and visual arts.  All types of STEM and Arts activities can take place in the central gathering spaces. 

Closing Thoughts

This building and campus tells the students that they matter and gives them both voice and choice in how they wish to participate in their own education and preparation for success in a world that is ever-changing.