The master plan and conceptual design for a new Cultural Arts Center for Herndon, VA, a suburb of Washington DC, guides the way for a new home for local arts groups and performances, as well as pointing to a transformation of a significant portion of downtown.

Located in western Fairfax County, Herndon is the third largest town in Virginia with a population of 22,000: over the past 20 years the town has become a center for internet technology yet still retains a strong sense of community with a small-town charm.

The design team identified local and regional users and developed a building program for the center that balanced expansive ‘wish lists’ with more restrictive budgets. Once the building program, which includes a 275-seat theatre, a 100-seat function hall, and an art gallery, was developed, the program was tested with the firm’s technique of “program massing blocks” on a model of downtown sites and studied for urban design strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately two site plans were presented, one outlining the arts center itself on the preferred site, the second showing planning for future adjacent developments. Each was received enthusiastically and the project is scheduled to move into schematic design in 2005.

Project Info
Cost: $7,000,000
Complete: 2003 (master plan)
Scope: Master Planning, Architecture
Client: The Town of Herndon, VA
Staff: Scott Wilson, AIA; Scott Butler, AIA; Will Horne, Job Captain

"You listened to what was in our best interests. You delivered to us exactly what we asked for."
Les Zidel, Cultural Arts Advisory Committee member, Herndon, Virginia