Living Building at Wilton Farm

A global leader in sustainable construction and environmental education, Henrico County Public Schools has broken ground on an extraordinary learning space — the world’s first K-12 public school facility to earn Living Building certification. The certification program is the most rigorous current standard for green design and sustainability.

The 16,000-square-foot facility is designed as a living laboratory for students enrolled in the division’s Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability. The campus will use experiential learning to help prepare students for careers in the environmental sciences. Students of all ages across Henrico County will also have unique learning opportunities through field trips and hands-on activities at the Living Building campus. Outside of school hours, the building and grounds will be a resource and gathering place for the entire community.

Nestled among 62 acres of preserved natural landscape on the historic Wilton Farm property in Varina, the Living Building will provide endless opportunities for hands-on exploration and learning, including indoor and outdoor classrooms, wetlands, forests, the James River and Whale Lake. Students will learn environmental stewardship not just from their teachers, but from the structure itself:

• Solar panels will produce all the energy the building needs.

• Rainwater harvested from the green roof and purification systems will supply drinking water.

• Composting toilets will conserve water and produce nutrient-rich soil.

• Mechanical systems will be visible through classroom windows, enabling students to study the building’s performance in real time.

   

When completed in 2026, the Living Building will feature expansive windows that fill the space with natural light and connect learning areas to the outdoors. The design preserves mature trees, minimizes construction waste by reusing materials from other HCPS schools, and integrates sustainable practices at every level. Every element, from open-air decks and kayak launches to the building’s covered outdoor classrooms, reflects the school division’s dedication to sustainability and its core values of innovation, equity, belonging, collaboration and student-focused learning.

Henrico County voters approved $13.3 million for the project as part of the 2022 bond referendum, which passed with an 86% "Yes" vote.