Maryland to See New $180M High School

Montgomery County Public Schools recently approved design plans for a new, $180-million high school in Gaithersburg, Md. Local news reports that Crown High School will stand five stories and have the capacity for about 2,200 students. The design also leaves room for potential expansion to house up to 2,700 students.

The school will include a gymnasium open to the public, dining space, an indoor amphitheater, and space for special education programs. It will also feature a child development program, an administrative sing, a performing arts wing, a media center, and classrooms and lab space. The campus will feature multiple courtyards, and open space accounts for about 65% of the layout, according to Bethesda Magazine. It will also take advantage of sustainability initiatives like solar panels and geothermal energy.

The main purpose of the school’s construction is to ease overcrowding at five other district high schools. The land on which the school will be built is owned by the city of Gaithersburg. The plot has been designated as a future school site since 2006 on the condition that construction had to begin within 20 years, according to an arrangement with the mayor and the City Council.

Construction is scheduled for completion in 2026, although it may stretch into 2027. The district is partnering with general contractor Keller Construction Management and architecture firm Stantec Architecture.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Kimball International Releases Curated Design Support Program

    Commercial furnishings company Kimball International recently announced the launch of a new end-to-end design support program, DesignSuite. According to a news release, its goal is to guide architecture & design professionals and dealer partners through the process from vision to specification.

  • Ohio State University Opens 26-Story Hospital

    The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center recently opened in Columbus, Ohio, standing 26 stories and covering 1.9 million square feet, according to a university news release. The project marks ten years of effort and is the university’s largest single-facility construction project ever.

  • Full Sail University Announces First Student Housing Facility

    Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla., recently announced that development has begun on its first student housing community, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Nvision Development for construction and long-term management of the facility, which will stand five stories and have the capacity for more than 570 beds.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).