Woodberry Forest School – Walker Building

Woodberry Forest School is a private, all-male boarding school located on 1,200 acres in Woodberry Forest, Madison Country, Virginia, since its establishment in 1889. The Walker Building is the oldest building on campus, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses the school’s administrative offices, library and residences. In 2017 the School conducted a Capital Improvement Plan Study, part of which included repositioning the building back to its former importance as the centerpiece of the Campus.

The completed program includes 123 beds and 3 faculty residences on the upper floors, administrative offices on the 1st floor, and ground floor dedicated to student life. The student life program includes the school’s post office, student store, the iconic Fir Tree Grille, grab-n-go adjacent to a commons kitchen, lounge, game room, and a mindfulness studio.

The exterior of the building was restored to its former historic details with two outdoor spaces: Tiger Square and Outdoor Education. Tiger Square is a multi-purpose event courtyard space, adjacent to the Fir Tree Grille, lounge, and game room. Outdoor Education is a flexible, programmed grassed space adjacent to the Outdoor Education program and commons kitchen to serve as a garage and backyard which the residential program.

The project was implemented through a design-build contract.