New Catholic High School at Cherry Hill

Prince William County, Virginia

Firm

MTFA Architecture

Client

Catholic Diocese of Arlington

Area

188,046 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$24,600,000

Completion Date

08/2005

This 188,000-square-foot Catholic high school accommodates 1,000 students with future expansion capabilities to house 1,500 students. The design for the high school takes advantage of the steeply sloping site by organizing an efficient four-story structure around an interconnected “main street” corridor.
Connected to the main street are the building’s four wings, which are each dedicated to major building functions, including the gymnasium, library, cafeteria and theater. The angle of these wings creates the effect of a welcoming cloistered courtyard in the front, follows natural ridges in the topography and embraces the wooded site in the rear.
The focus of the building is a central chapel that creates a procession from the building’s main entrance courtyard to the tabernacle. The largest challenge to this unique building is that the site area was limited to 40 acres, and the slope across the site exceeded 100 feet. Careful design of the building and play fields was the major design generator.