T.C. Williams High School Replacement

Alexandria, VA

T.C. Williams High School, named after a former superintendent of schools, is Alexandria’s sole public high school. Built in 1965, the existing building was slated for replacement and then, upon completion of the new building, demolition. The new high school was built adjacent to the existing building; construction took place within 10 feet of the existing building and the 2100 students who attended the school. Once the new school was completed and ready for student use, the existing building was demolished and the parking garage built in its place. The new high school, a multi-level facility, includes two gymnasiums, atrium-type corridors on the third floor, and large skylights in the cafeteria.

NFP provided design-build service for the new building and parking garage. Installation in the high school consisted of a wet pipe sprinkler system, multiple standpipes, and a 1500 gpm fire pump. The parking garage, a two level structure, is protected by two dry pipe sprinkler systems. Combined, 3750 sprinklers were installed; 3200 were installed in the high school building and 550 in the parking garage.

The four-and-a-half year T.C. Williams High School Replacement project was an exercise in coordination, not only for the design-build team, but also for the Alexandria City Public School system, Alexandria city government, the community, and the high school’s faculty, staff, and students. All parties had to work together effectively to construct the best possible facility for current and future students of the city’s public high school. In addition to the constant communication between and involvement of all interested parties, the new high school was designed and constructed to meet the highest LEED standards of environmental responsibility and sustainability, with elements including a green roof above the student commons, a rain garden in the bus loop, waterless urinals, and other numerous energy efficient features. These features led the high school being awarded a LEED Gold certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the first Virginia K-12 school to achieve this level..