Perkins&Will

Henrico County Public Schools Center for Environmental Studies & Sustainability aims to be the first public school in the world to achieve full Living Building Challenge certification.Once completed, this facility will be the epicenter of immersive sustainable education for K-12 public schools surrounding Richmond, Virginia—providing active learning spaces and hands-on workshops for students. The building takes the form of a winged bird rising from a wildflower meadow. Thoughtfully oriented for passive solar performance, the design maximizes winter heat gain while overhangs and shading fins mitigate summer heat and glare.

The project immerses students in nature while restoring local ecosystems. A green roof planted with local grasses and wildflowers serves as an extension of the meadow, and an orchard of edible plants and fruit trees offers hands-on learning tied to local and Indigenous food systems. Designed as a Net-Zero Energy and Water facility, the building generates105% of its annual energy needs through on-site renewables. Rainwater harvesting, passive heating and cooling, urban agriculture, and climate-resilient siting enhance long-term survivability.

Once part of the largest plantation in Virginia, the vernacular-inspired design honors the deep history of the site—acknowledging indigenous stewardship that cultivated the ecology of the James River watershed and the legacy of enslaved peoples that tended the land.