Hunter Mill Country Day School

The founder and director of a suburban Northern Virginia pre-school asked BluPath to design a classroom addition to the aging farmhouse. The addition needed to be compatible in scale and style with the original center and provide updated support spaces in an energy-efficient, comfortable, and easily maintained facility. The design incorporated passive building principles with passive solar features.

BluPath began with a master plan study. The academic and administrative goals were to provide an immediate, welcoming atmosphere with direct access to the school director, to improve accessibility to the facility, and to increase and enhance the usable program space to meet code requirements and be eligible for NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) certification.

BluPath surveyed, researched, and evaluated the existing facilities and proposed a design that will:

• Maximize the use of building facilities and improve circulation, accessibility, and emergency egress,
• Meet zoning, building code, and accessibility requirements,
• Promote building performance and the health, safety, and security of the occupants,
• Meet sustainable goals to maximize energy efficiency and minimize the environmental impact of the building renovations and additions, and
• Work within the project budget developed by the Director and the Board.

The existing Hunter Mill Country Day School is approximately 8,162 sq ft on three floors (including the lower level). We proposed two additions totaling approximately 1500 gsf.

• The new Entry adds approximately 200gsf with 200sf renovations to the existing entry area.
• New interior and exterior ramps and porch increase vertical and horizontal connections between the north and south wings of the school. 
• The new Rear Addition adds approximately 1,300 sf of classroom and toilet facilities. 
• The new Terraces Courtyard is approximately 500 sq ft. 
• Lower level egress stairs improve fire safety and emergency egress paths while increasing daylight and air circulation.

The project was not realized.