Once slated for thousands of homes, the sprawling fields and forests at Wilton Farm will soon feature the world’s first K-12 public school “living building.”
Henrico County officials joined their counterparts from Henrico County Public Schools on Sept. 29 for a groundbreaking ceremony on the 1,200-acre site in Varina, near the flyover of interstates 95 and 895.
Superintendent Amy E. Cashwell said the 15,000-square-foot facility will be designed with environmental sustainability and conservation in mind. It will “give back more than it takes, protecting the local ecosystem, generating its own energy and creating an environment that revitalizes itself,” she said.
Targeted to open in late 2026, the $16.3 million Living Building at Wilton Farm will provide a learning space for students in the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability. Officials noted that between its use of solar power, turning rainwater into potable drinking water and other sustainable efforts, land that was once home to enslaved workers will host an innovative, environmentally friendly learning center within a natural landscape.
“The structure will be an example for the state and the nation, and beyond that, a lasting, positive impact for those who follow us,” County Manager John A. Vithoulkas said.
The project will seek formal certification as a living building from the nonprofit International Living Future Institute. More than 30 living buildings are currently recognized.
The decision to construct a living building on 62 acres at Wilton Farm represents a dramatic reversal from a fate that seemed destined two decades ago.
In 2005, a development company that owned the land received zoning approval that would have allowed the construction of thousands of homes on it. That changed in 2019, when Henrico purchased the land with preservation as a goal. County voters overwhelmingly approved funding for the living building as part of the 2022 bond referendum.
Varina District Supervisor Tyrone E. Nelson, who joined the board in 2012, recalled the early conversations that led to the creation of an environment-focused specialty center at Varina High School and then the Board of Supervisors’ decision to purchase Wilton Farm. He said he’s excited about the “thoughtful use of this property. The living building will demonstrate innovation and harmony with nature.”
Nelson also thanked his colleagues for supporting the project and Cashwell for introducing the concept to county officials. In turn, Cashwell presented Nelson and Vithoulkas with plaques in recognition of their contributions.
The living building will be part of the legacy of both Cashwell and Nelson, Vithoulkas said. “This place will be forever known as the house that Nelson and Cashwell built,” he said, noting the surrounding lakes, wetlands, farmland and open spaces along the James River.
