• Virginia Beach Middle School 1

    Virginia Beach Middle School 1

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 2

    Virginia Beach Middle School 2

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 3

    Virginia Beach Middle School 3

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 4

    Virginia Beach Middle School 4

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 5

    Virginia Beach Middle School 5

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 7

    Virginia Beach Middle School 7

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 8

    Virginia Beach Middle School 8

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 9

    Virginia Beach Middle School 9

  • Virginia Beach Middle School 10

    Virginia Beach Middle School 10

Virginia Beach Middle School

Location: Virginia Beach, VA
Square Feet: 190,000
Market: K-12 Education
All Markets
Special Features: LEED
Located just blocks from the Virginia Beach oceanfront, Virginia Beach Middle School blends effortlessly with the "Old Beach" residential neighborhood.

Served as Structural Engineer of Record and Special Inspector for this new 190,000 square foot LEED Silver certified middle school with a 925-student capacity.  At its construction, it was the largest and most technologically advanced middle school facility in the school system.  The work was phased, first constructing the new facility at the rear of the site, allowing the existing school to remain in operation until completion of the new school. The second phase consisted of the demolition of the existing school and construction of the athletic areas on its former site.

The school’s unique exterior was designed to complement the surrounding “Old Beach” neighborhood. Interior features include a three-story classroom wing with one grade per level, a 450-seat auditorium, a second-floor media center, exterior dining space adjacent to the cafeteria, art labs and facilities to house the middle school visual arts program, and connection to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) via a walkway. Top-quality electrical and mechanical systems were designed to offer high energy efficiency. An emphasis is placed on natural light inside the building; a light-filled three-story “spine” runs the length of the building which serves as the main circulation area.

Also included in this project was the design of Beach Garden Park, formerly a city landfill which was transformed into a beautiful athletic facility adjacent to the school which is mutually open to the public and used by the school for its physical education program. The facility features a restroom/concession building, ball fields, basketball court, and picnic shelters.

Design awards bestowed on this project include a 2010 Sustainable Development Honor Award (from the Virginia Beach Planning Commission), a 2010 Stewardship Recognition Award (from the City of Virginia Beach, City Manager’s Office), and a 2011 Virginia School Boards Association's Exhibition of School Architecture Award.

Images courtesy of HBA Architecture & Interior Design.