HENRICO, Va., Nov. 17, 2025 — In September, Henrico County Public Schools broke ground on the Living Building, the centerpiece of the division's new 62-acre environmental education campus on the James River in eastern Henrico. On Dec. 4, the school division will hold a meeting at Varina High School, where community members can learn more about the new building. Attendees can also meet HCPS students engaged in environmental research, including students enrolled at the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Varina High School. When it opens in 2026, the 16,000-square-foot Living Building will be the most sustainable K-12 public education building on the planet.
Living Building Community Meeting and Student Showcase
When: Dec. 4 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Where: Varina High School, 7053 Messer Road, Henrico, VA 23231
After a presentation in the school auditorium, attendees will have a chance to attend breakout sessions, including:
Q&A session with Living Building architects and project managers: Go deeper into the project's design and implementation.
Place-based stewardship: How teaching and learning at the campus will integrate the history of the Wilton Farm property.
Living classrooms: How the building will serve as a teaching tool for all HCPS students.
Learning in action: A student-led showcase highlighting the ways learning translates to real-world environmental action. The session will feature projects from the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability, the Center for Information Technology and the Youth Council of Henrico’s Environmental Action Resource Team.
American Sign Language interpreters will be present at the event. Interpreters for other languages are available upon request by calling 804-652-3695 or emailing eldavenport@henrico.k12.va.us.
The campus will be a living laboratory for students enrolled in the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability. In addition, students of all ages from across Henrico County will have unique learning opportunities through field trips and hands-on activities at the Living Building campus. Outside of school hours, the building will be a resource for the community. The project was approved by Henrico voters as part of the 2022 bond referendum, which passed with an 86% "Yes" vote.
Read more about the Living Building at henricoschools.us/page/living-building.