I’d like to urge that the exterior windows on the new building are able to be opened in all rooms to let in fresh air. This will enable us to vent germs and gases (science and art for example). Vent hoods are necessary for some experiments/art uses, but are not successful in airing out entire rooms. Without open windows, volatile gases stay in rooms and present health hazards.
The design will address both student safety and air quality, and we have shared your comment with the team working on the mechanical systems and building exterior.
No vending machines - just water fountains with water bottle fillers?
We will have water bottle fillers with the drinking fountains, but we also anticipate that there will be some vending and concessions available. We are committed to continue our recycling efforts.
Will walls be retractable?
We are not currently planning on retractable walls in the current program. The design is still being refined and more information regarding walls will be determined soon.
Is there outdoor space outside of athletic fields?
The project will look to leverage the outdoor spaces for uses in addition to athletics. We will look at opportunities for both active and passive activities that are both didactic and sustainable.
Do shelter spaces have another purpose?
The design will facilitate the use of classroom and breakout space for shelter in an emergency.
Will the interior secure spaces adjacent to classes be designed for hurricane/ tornado shelter in place?
With a vertical design, we anticipate using spaces on the lower levels when there is a threat of a tornado or hurricane.
Rain gardens are needed.
We will look to incorporate different features as we solve storm water management and other sustainable requirements.
Connection to creeks are needed.
Storm water management design will follow all VA Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) regulations.
Dark sky lighting should be considered.
All outdoor fixtures will be dark sky compliant.
Include car share pods.
We are open to exploring this during the design and building of our new high school, and will share this comment with the economic development team for the adjacent site.
Include electric car charging stations.
We are open to exploring this during the design and building of our new high school, and will share this comment with the economic development team for the adjacent site.
Exterior performance should include future consideration of climate change.
Exterior skin will be compliant with LEED Gold standards and the building will be NetZero ready. Thank you for your comment.
Exterior performance should include green screens (heat island) and improve air quality.
Roofs will be reflective to avoid any heat island effect. Landscaping materials are being planned around the building to provide additional shading.
Good to hear that the key design components of LEED Gold, Geothermal HVAC, and Net Zero ready are intact in terms of planning.
Thank you for your comment.
What are sustainability standards for 10 acre site? What are their costs? Will they have similar environmental standards?
The final design for the 10 acre economic development is still being determined. Please direct any questions regarding the 10 acre site to the General Government.
Can you talk about how sustainability aspects of the building will be incorporated into curriculum? (like at Discovery Elementary)
We are reviewing our current curriculum to incorporate renewable energy into our academic standards. These standards will be continued at the new school.
Is there space for teachers to work and collaborate?
Teacher offices and collaboration space will be provided to allow for a professional setting to plan and meet with students.
Are there spaces for teachers to meet with students?
Teachers and students can meet in one of the many small conference rooms, breakout rooms, or in the classrooms themselves.
With current climate projections, can the high school be used as a shelter? i.e. hurricane shelter
We will continue to work with emergency management staff to determine how the building could be used in an emergency.
Will there be recycling receptacles?
Yes.
Consider ways to make school feel smaller; 9th grade area, senior area.
The student experience is being considered as the design is reviewed and adjusted.
Opportunity to have more student centered learning.
Thank you for your comment.
Opportunity to increase teacher collaboration.
Thank you for your comment.
Consider mix of gendered and gender neutral bathrooms.
Both gendered and gender neutral restroom and locker room options will be provided.
Opportunity to organize grades and subject areas.
Thank you for your comment.
Flexible classroom spaces, can be used for different subjects.
Thank you for your comment.
Is there still such a thing as a library?
Yes, the library and media center is located on the second floor of the small bar. There is still a need for library with books, but this space also provides for small group study and collaboration.
Student flow between classes is a challenge.
We are reviewing the design and are assessing student flow and movement.
Flow for MEH students is a challenge.
Thank you for your comment.
Restrooms: what is the placement of gender neutral?
Both gendered and gender neutral restroom and locker room options will be provided. Locations are currently being designed.
How to create communities for classes (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior)
The student experience is being considered as the design is reviewed and adjusted. The open layout will provide opportunities for students to meet and create ownership over spaces.
Concerns about gender neutral individual stalls - will they be monitored? Will they be truly individual?
Student safety continues to be a focus, and students will continued to be monitored as they are currently.
Concerns about distractions.
As part of the design process, we are meeting with teachers from schools with similar designs. Student teachers are currently being trained in environments similar to our new design, and we will work with teachers to address distraction as needed.
What are opportunities for extra space use for additional class or additional subjects added in the future?
The design provides flexibility and addresses future growth in enrollment and potential changes in the courses offered.
How will future changes to school be funded?
Changes to the building would be addressed through the capital planning process.
Any designed space for mindfulness practice purposes?
The new school is being built with multiuse spaces that will be flexible to accommodate students’ needs.
Lots of light is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Room for growth is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
It is good there is open space for student gathering.
Thank you for your comment.
Flexibility of academic spaces is good.
Thank you for your comment.
Professional treatment of faculty is good.
Thank you for your comment.
Respect given to needs of students and staff is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Access to teachers has improved.
Thank you for your comment.
Security rooms as multipurpose breakout and learning is good; do not call them security spaces, just use them as such
Thank you for your comment.
Noise/visual distractions is a concern
As part of the design process, we are meeting with teachers from schools with similar designs. Student teachers are currently being trained in environments similar to our new design, and we will work with teachers to address distraction as needed.
Safety due to glass is concern.
We continue to meet with experts in safety and design.
Rooms in between classrooms maybe a bit small in terms of putting students there during a lock down.
These areas are still under design, thank you for your input.
Gender neutral bathrooms concept is not a good one.
Thank you for your comment.
Gender based privacy may be an issue, involving bathrooms. As a student I would greatly appreciate to have one bathroom for men and another for women, a transgender student can use the bathroom that they identify as.
Both gendered and gender neutral restroom and locker room options will be provided. Locations are currently being designed.
Can you please inform the community about teacher buy-in on the new GMHS?
We have been, and will continue to meet with teachers who have been providing feedback and input into the design.
Where will special education specific spaces be? PT/OT
Special education spaces will be integrated within the academic levels of the school. The PT/OT spaces will be on the academic levels adjacent to student services.
Consider restroom access to performing arts spaces
Restrooms are being planned for these areas.
Consider community use of performing arts spaces
We will continue to have community use of performing arts and other spaces in our school.
Enable the landscape to be used for arts, biology, etc, for the school or community - not just athletics
Exterior spaces will continue to be used for a variety of uses in addition to athletics.
Community band storage & practice room is a challenge
There will be a variety of spaces available for the community band to practice in, in coordination with the school's space schedule. The new school will have instrument storage opportunities.
Piano/music lab is a strength
Thank you for your comment.
Capacity compared to other high schools in Fairfax and APS is a strength
Thank you for your comment.
IB program requirements are a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Improvements for MEMHS choral & band are good.
Thank you for your comment.
Restroom access is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Collaborative space is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Sound studio is a strength.
Thank you for your comment.
Lack of fly is a weakness.
The design team is working with the school to accommodate the needs of their performances including their ability to use scenery.
Location of choral and music lab relative to elevators and mechanical rooms is not good.
Noise and sound are being addressed in the design.
Seating capacity is a weakness.
The new auditorium is being designed to have more seats than the current auditorium. Currently there are 499 seats, and the design has 650 seats.
Music staff offices/collaborative space is a weakness
Space for performing arts staff collaboration will be provided.
Instrument storage location more accessible to elevators
Adjacency of instrument storage to the elevators has been adjusted.
Dressing room should have access to stage
Access is provided through a performer corridor.
Better identification of small use in performing arts is needed
We are continuing to work the fine arts staff to finalize the design.
Is size of stage & dimension enough for all performing arts, including dance? Including FC community center and renters?
The stage will be sized for the largest school performance, currently an 80-member band.
Are performing arts spaces meeting VA codes?
The project is being designed to meet all applicable codes and regulations.
I understand lights for both the turf field and tennis courts are in the design plan, but only as an "Alternate". That is, the design plan will include the infrastructure for the lights in the base bid, but whether the actual lights will be installed or not will depend on cost. Please find a way to cut costs somewhere else to install lights on BOTH the turn field and the tennis courts. Our current courts have lights and if there are no tennis court lights in the new HS, we will be worse off than we are now. In his opening comments regarding the parking situation, Dr. Noonan made it clear that we will be no worse off after the new high school is built, but hope to be better off. I should hope the same can be said of the tennis courts.
We are committed to try and find a way to light the practice field. Our current tennis courts are unusable and will be replaced.
Thank you for assessing the benefit of moving the outfield baseball fence in so it's 350 feet in centerfield and 320 feet at the corners. Hopefully it will allow for the other fields and tennis courts to shift and provide room for the much needed additional parking spaces.
Thank you for your comment.
Regardless of the "Window Wall" being an energy saver, please consider a concrete block wall in the competition gym. Please look at the cost/benefit analysis of the "Window Wall" cost and energy savings compared to the cost/benefit of turf field lights and tennis court lights and the revenue stream generated by lighting these. Even if the competition gym will meet all VHSL standards by applying padding to the glass during basketball season, we are concerned that our visiting teams' opinions about the "Window Wall" may be negative. This will reduce our opportunities to host division regionals, etc., which is a major reason we've been lobbying for a competition gym in the first place.
The building design will not accommodate a concrete block wall in the gym. We've checked with VHSL, and our current design with glass in the gym will not result in us being ineligible. Our regional colleagues have not indicated that either.
Please consider Jim Alverson's suggestion of painting lines on the turf field for the dimensions of a t-ball field or single A field. This is a great idea and will serve to alleviate the current shortage of fields for Falls Church Kiwanis Little League while also getting younger families on campus and introduced to Mason Athletics. We love synergy and getting our younger families on campus.
Thank you for your comment.
Opportunity to increase student participation in sports
Thank you for your comment.
Tball/little league/ multi-use field for community use
Thank you for your comment.
Meet regulations for high school sports
Thank you for your comment.
Opportunity to rent use of fields/facilities
Thank you for your comment.
As enrollment increases there will be new sports, need space
The space being developed will be adequate for VHSL sports.
Multiple levels of team sports will be a challenge
The new design will increase usable practice space.
Athletic storage will be a challenge
Storage is being planned based on list of storage needs provided by the athletic department
Consider way finding.
Way finding by interior and exterior signage will be provided.
Connection of field/site is a strength
Thank you for your comment.
Indoor track is a strength
Thank you for your comment.
Is glazing in the gym needed?
The overall design of the building and the commitment to LEED and being Net Zero ready will address glazing.
During construction, where will MEH students play?
A plan is being developed to identify outdoors spaces for MEH students during construction.
Lack of swimming pool is a weakness.
Thank you for your comment.
Cost of any glazing is a weakness - safety and performance issues with transparent glass
Thank you for your comment.
Is there still a place for a potential future pool?
At this point we are not considering a swimming pool.
Is the city/school thinking about expanding car share? A city level system would help alleviate need for individual cars similar to the City Car Share program in San Francisco or partnering with private car share programs to provide more access around the city not just at the Metro lot.
We are looking at ways to encourage alternate routes to school beyond cars...biking, walking, carpooling, etc.
How will we prevent commuters from cutting through the school during peak traffic?
Site circulation with the 10 acre development and the school site is still being finalized.
Consider display of legacy items.
The Education Foundation is leading the effort to incorporate legacy items.
Is it possible to have restrooms/food at confluence of Mustang Way and Husky Trail?
This is being studied by the design team as a part of site planning.
Can there be "color coded" access badges?
Access controls to sports facilities is under consideration.
Provide a breastfeeding room for staff, students, and community use
A private room for breastfeeding or private reflection is being provided in each of the staff collaboration areas.
Include family bathrooms for community use and team parents
Family restrooms are being designed for community access
How will legacy items that cannot be moved or replaced be recognized?
The Education Foundation is leading the effort to incorporate legacy items.
Consider simultaneous use of gyms at night.
We will. Thank you for your comment.
Parks and rec office/storage
Storage options are still being considered.
Consider parking for events
We are still working on the parking design for the site.
Pedestrian access when development is under construction will be a challenge
A site logistics plan is being developed that will provide safe pathways for pedestrians during construction. These plans will be shared prior to the start of work for communication.
What is the cost limit for the project? is it FCCPS' job to provide space for everyone?
The new high school project was bonded for $120 million dollars. We are committed to provide a school that meets the needs of our students.
How much will it be to rent a space?
Community Use fees are being reviewed.
The control of floors and rooms is good.
Thank you for your comment.
New community classroom is good
Thank you for your comment.
When will students be engaged? Has there been student input?
They have been involved in the design process and will continue to be.
Traffic management in and out of new development is a weakness
Thank you for your comment.
Where will memorials be and is there space to display them?
There will be space for memorials outside and inside the school. The Education Foundation is leading the effort to incorporate legacy items.