Lois S. Hornsby Middle School

Designed for a student population of 800 students, the school program is tailored to meet the goals of the Williamsburg James City County Public Schools’ mission statement.  This 145,450 s.f. middle school provides program spaces for Grades 6th through 8th.  Each grade is divided into two teaching teams.  The middle school philosophy of team grouping fosters an atmosphere of cohesiveness by grade level that is reinforced by the building design.

The building’s clear circulation path can be easily understood by students, parents, community members, and visitors.  The academic areas are clustered on three levels – one for each grade, with the media center centrally located on the middle level.  The science labs are integrated into each grade cluster.  The auditorium, cafeteria, gymnasium, and music rooms are located across "Main Street" to separate noisy spaces from classroom spaces. The gymnasium is located to allow easy access to the exterior ball fields and courts.

In an effort to reduce initial costs, this project was developed as a shared site campus to accommodate both this new middle school and a new elementary school.  Both schools share parking but have separate bus loops.  The school campus also provides the opportunity for shared facilities.  The middle school has an auditorium that both schools and the community can use.