Millennials are starting families in urban areas faster than schools can accommodate, leading to overcrowding issues. As office vacancy rates rise, some school systems are turning to adaptive reuse of vacant commercial buildings as a sustainable and cost-effective solution. The presentation highlights two examples where former office buildings were converted to schools in Atlanta and Fairfax County, Virginia, providing needed additional space for growing student populations in a vertical format similar to traditional office structures.

1. Yesterday’s
Office Buildings
are the Schools of
Tomorrow

2. Millennials are growing up.
Average age = 18 to 33 years old
Source: Pew Research Center

3. Millennials are starting families.

4. 10.8
Million
The number of U.S. households with
adults between the ages of 25 and
34 who have children.
Source: Millennial Marketing

5. These young
families are
populating
urban areas.

6. 77%
of Millennials want to live in
an urban environment.
Source: Realtor.org

7. Urban schools are unprepared for the
population influx.

8. of public schools in the U.S. have
portable (temporary) buildings,
which are often used to combat
overcrowding.
33%
Source: The Institute of Education Sciences

9. School systems are looking for a
solution

10. Theyneedmorespace...

11. ...Not this kind of space

12. THIS kind of space

13. But empty sites in urban areas
are expensive and difficult to find.

14. …Meanwhile, available office space is
on the rise.

15. of office space
in the U.S. is
vacant.
16.7%
Source: Reuters

16. 609,935,701 sf
of office space was vacant in the
fourth quarter of 2014.
Source: Jones Lang LaSalle

17. …Meanwhile office space is more
available than ever.
Owners of office
buildings can wait for
traditional tenants to
return...

18. ...or look to new uses
for their buildings.

19. …The answer?

20. Adaptive Reuse.

21. n. [uh-dap-tiv ree yoos]
1. the process of reusing an old
site or building for a purpose other
than which it was built or designed.
Adaptive Reuse

22. Why does it work?

23. Why does it work?
It’s sustainable.

24. Why does it work?
It’s sustainable. It’s efficient.

25. Why does it work?
It’s sustainable. It’s efficient. It makes
economic sense.

26. Clearly, vacant office
buildings are not too cool
for school.

27. Take the New North Atlanta High School...

28. The North Atlanta School
System needed more
space but struggled to find
available land.

29. A former IBM campus proved to be the
perfect solution.
942
Car Parking Deck
380,000 sf Office
Building Built in 1977

30. It all added up.
High School Space Needed*= 300,000 sf
IBM Office Building = 380,000 sf
*Per original program requirements

31. North Atlanta’s new vertical school
can accommodate 2,350 students.

32. Just like office workers, students take
destination elevators to class.

33. But just like other high schools,
floors used by the same grades
are separated by stairs.

34. Classrooms look like any other
high school but with better views.

35. Graphics and colors help students
and teachers navigate the facility.

36. Source: School Construction News
The architects at Cooper Carry believe
that the new North Atlanta High School
is an example of the beginning of the
future in adaptive reuse projects for
public education buildings.
— Audrey Arthur
School Construction News

37. In Fairfax County, Virginia,
school officials faced similar
challenges.

38. Nearly half of Bailey’s
Elementary School students
were housed in trailers.

39. Once again, a vacant office building
provided the ideal solution.

40. The new mid-rise elementary
school provides students
with all sorts of bells and
whistles...

41. A theater space with stadium seating takes
advantage of the existing structure’s verticality.

42. Classrooms provide students with light-
filled learning environments.

43. Classrooms provide students with light-
filled learning environments.
... and incredible views!

44. Learning communities contain flexible
spaces for collaboration and interaction.

45. Bright colors for minds and bright futures!

46. Source: The Washington Post
“As we continue to be a fast-growing school
system and property becomes harder to come
by, we will have to think differently about
school design. Vertical buildings will be part of
our plan throughout the county.”
— Karen Garza
Superintendent, Fairfax County Public Schools

47. With Cooper Carry’s help,
Fairfax County Public Schools
turned a vacant Class B
office building into an A+
school.

48. Interested in learning more?

49. We’re happy to talk through
solutions for your
school or office.

50. Give us a call.
Lauren Perry Ford, AIA, LEED AP
703-519-6152
Jerry Cooper, FAIA, LEED AP
404-240-9501
Bob Just, AIA, LEED AP
678-539-4650
www.coopercarry.com

51. We want to hear from you!
Please like, share,
and comment on this
presentation.

52. Pew Research Center | http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-
adulthood/
Millennial Marketing | http://www.millennialmarketing.com/2013/07/new-research-the-
millennial-generation-becomes-parents/
Realtor.org | http://www.realtor.org/articles/how-millennials-move-the-car-less-trends
The Institute of Education Sciences | http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=94
Reuters | http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/05/property-usa-office-
idUSL3N0UK37W20150105
Jones Lang LaSalle | http://www.us.jll.com/united-states/en-us/Research/United-States-
Office-Statistics-Q4-2014-JLL.pdf?e617f4b8-1f21-4418-83ac-fe372972fcbc
School Construction News | http://www.schoolconstructionnews.com/articles/2013/09/5/
massive-adaptive-reuse-project-transforms-atlanta-schools
The Washington Post | http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/
some-fairfax-county-students-head-to-class-in-a-baileys-crossroads-office-
building/2014/09/02/9e939086-32b2-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html
Data Sources