DescriptionThomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) is a Virginia state chartered magnet school operated by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). The $90 million renovation/addition project helps the school continue to attract top students. This project is an example of the adaptive reuse of an existing facility including the renewal/renovation of 198,442 square feet, and addition of 200,391 square feet to TJHSST. This was a four-year project with multiple phases accommodating occupied renovations of the entire facility including complete site and new athletic facilities.
The renovation of TJHSST more than doubled its size. Among the facilities renovated or added to were state-of-the-art laboratories for neuroscience, a wave tank for oceanography and an optics lab outfitted with lasers. In addition, the facility will be powered partially by solar panels and feature an extremely efficient heating and cooling system. The first floor lab addition will be home to oceanography, chemical analysis, neuroscience, prototyping, energy systems, optics and modern physics.
The second floor houses computer systems, biotechnology, CAD, robotics, electronics and communications. These specially designed labs are several thousand square feet larger than typical labs, making almost a collegiate level lab system, with spaces that are around 3,000 square feet each and that open to common areas. The building upgrade will include ADA standards and will be a high-performance building.
