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Architectural panel recommends approval of new Maury High School design, design team highlights sustainability features
Summary
The Architectural Review Board unanimously recommended the design for the new Maury High School to the City Planning Commission. The design team said the project will pursue LEED certification, a resilience quotient, geothermal systems, PV-ready roofs and a new "Resilience Park" with underground water storage and walking trails.
The Architectural Review Board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the design review for the new Maury High School, the city planning staff told the City Planning Commission. The design team said the project is located north of the historic high school and will include partial demolition of the existing structure to accommodate the new campus.
Design representatives said the project aligns with Plan Norfolk and the city’s resilience goals. North Price, a design team representative with WPA, told commissioners the team created a matrix mapping the project to the four pillars of the NFK 20 50 plan and included sustainability measures such as LEED certification and a resilience-quotient assessment. “PB stands for photovoltaic. Solar panels,” Price said when asked whether the roof was being reserved for future solar installations.
The design team said site strategies include a Resilience Park with community walking trails and educational signage, underground water storage, EV charging infrastructure provisions for future installation, native and salt-tolerant plantings, and building-system options such as geothermal and partial geothermal. The roof is being kept clear and PV-ready; the design also includes bird-safe glazing, enhanced daylighting, LED lighting and low-flow plumbing fixtures, the team said.
Panel and staff presentations noted the team relied on historical site analysis and watershed studies (including late-19th-century maps showing Smith and Paradise creeks near the campus) when placing buildings and designing stormwater responses. VMDO, listed as a project partner, was cited by staff as experienced in high-performance school buildings and indoor air–quality design for student performance.
The ARB’s unanimous recommendation is a formal referral to the planning commission. Staff said the full design-review submittal includes a LEED scorecard and the resilience-quotient scorecard; the design team will present the complete package at the formal hearing. No final planning commission decision was recorded in the transcript excerpt.
