Falls Church, VA – July 30, 2018 – After a selection process that began in November 2017, the Falls Church City School Board unanimously selected the design-build team of Gilbane, Stantec, and Quinn Evans Architects (QEA) for the new $108 million George Mason High School in Falls Church, VA. Falls Church City Schools’ Superintendent Peter Noonan noted, “The design put forth by the Gilbane team is nothing short of brilliant. It is everything the community has asked for and more. I’m very excited as we now move into the home stretch with engagement between the architects and the community beginning in earnest.”
The selection of the design-build team comes after the Falls Church community approved a Referendum to build the new high school in November 2017, after 10 years of document reviews, community meetings, and feasibility studies. The construction of the new building will be the final milestone in the process. The team’s design was selected because it not only addressed the community’s top priorities, but also incorporated sustainable elements, flexible and collaborative learning spaces, community accessibility, robust safety and security measures, and compatibility with the upcoming adjacent 10-acre private development site planned as a vibrant mixed-use community.
The proposed exterior design of the new George Mason High School combines modern materials with traditional brick for a contemporary aesthetic that will stand the test of time. Interiors are also designed with an eye toward tomorrow with flexible floorplans that provide security, efficiency, and adaptability to support programs and educational needs as they evolve. Students and teachers are offered a variety of spaces — informed by the priorities of flexibility, visual transparency, and natural daylighting — to create an academic setting that encourages creative thought, community building, and individual growth.
“The design pushes the boundaries of current 21st Century academic design thinking to create spaces that are highly adaptable and differentiated to support changes in instructional programs and approaches over time,” said Derk Jeffrey, Senior Principal at Stantec, which is leading the project design. “Our team is proud to support the community’s vision for the future of this campus and the dynamic mixed-use development to come.”
Gilbane, Stantec, and QEA bring expert knowledge in the design and construction of academic facilities. In 2018, Gilbane Building Company and Stantec ranked as the nation’s #1 K-12 Builder and #1 K-12 Designer, respectively, by Building Design + Construction, a respected industry publication. Gilbane, Stantec, and QEA each bring local K-12 expertise with award-winning portfolios of urban school projects in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. Notable projects include Dunbar Senior High School, The New School at the Wilson Site, Marie H. Reed Community Learning Center, McKinley Middle School, and Academies of Loudoun.
“We are excited to collaborate with the Falls Church community and our design-build partners to deliver a modern learning environment that’s flexible as education needs shift in the future,” said Jennifer Macks, Senior Project Executive at Gilbane Building Company. “Our team has spent a lot of time understanding the educational and community needs and desires of Falls Church to develop an approach that will serve these needs today and in the future. We are fully committed to building a high school that the community loves.”
About Gilbane Building Company
Gilbane provides a full slate of construction- and facilities-related services – from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, general contracting, design-build and facility management services – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has 46 office locations worldwide.
A builder in Washington, DC since 1969, Gilbane has grown to become one of the largest providers of construction management services in the DC metro area. In 2017 Gilbane was named one of the top five builders by the Washington Business Journal. A local leader in design-build construction, Gilbane has delivered over $740 million of design-build project in the last five years. Notable projects include the Cleveland Park Library, the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA), Dunbar Senior High School and St. Elizabeth’s East Campus Infrastructure Improvements. For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.
About Stantec
Stantec is the nation’s #1 K-12 Architecture Firm (Building Design + Construction, July 2018), recognized for designing inventive learning environments that give students, faculty, administrators and their communities the spaces they need to learn, grow, and succeed. We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, working together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.
Our recent K-12 projects in the region include Academies of Loudoun, Arlington Career Center, The Lab School of Washington – Upper School, Sandy Spring Friends School – Upper School, and Frederick County Middle School.
Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN. Visit stantec.com/education to learn more.
About Quinn Evans Architects
Established in 1984, Quinn Evans Architects specializes in architecture, planning, urban revitalization, and historic preservation, including sustainable preservation and stewardship. The firm has more than 140 professionals in offices in Washington, D.C.; Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; and Baltimore, Maryland. Quinn Evans Architects specializes in cultural, institutional, commercial, and educational projects, including museums, historic parks, theaters, mixed-use buildings, schools and campus facilities, libraries, and civic landmarks.
Current projects include the modernization of the National Air and Space Museum and the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.; renovation of the Old City Hall in Richmond, Va.; upgrades to the Cincinnati Art Museum; modernization of the historic Southeast Library in Minneapolis, Minn.; the transformation of historic space at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn into the new Davidson-Gerson Modern Glass Gallery; and several projects in Detroit, including the restoration of the historic Wurlitzer Building and transformation into a boutique hotel, renovation of 985 Michigan Avenue for the U.S. General Services Administration, and the adaptive reuse of the historic Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center. Quinn Evans Architects has also recently been selected to serve as associate architect on Beatty Development Group’s team for Amtrak’s redevelopment of Baltimore Penn Station. For more information, visit www.quinnevans.com.
