Innovation At The Heights

Abstract

Population growth in metropolitan Washington, D.C., has been on an upward trajectory in recent years, and this is especially true for Arlington County, in Northern Virginia. This increase in population corresponds to rapid student enrollment growth for Arlington Public Schools (APS). To accommodate this growth, APS created a capital improvement plan, part of which involved the construction of The Heights, a $100-million building accommodating two schools in Arlington. The building’s “fan” design is possible because of a novel load-path concept that uses floating buttresses.