press release
THE WINCHESTER STAR

School wins 3 awards

Daniel Morgan Middle School has won three state-level awards

By Angela jones
ajones@winchesterstar.com
Thursday, November 29, 2007

Winchester Public Schools announced that the recently renovated and expanded school won three awards for design and execution.

The state-level awards were announced on Nov. 14 at the Virginia School Board Association Annual Conference in Williamsburg.

Daniel Morgan was honored with the association’s first People’s Choice Award, which was selected by school board members from across the state.

To successfully compete for the award, a school needed to exhibit excellence in four categories — learning ambience, multi-functionality, sustainable design, civic presence, and subtle security.

"It is an honor to be recognized by our peers and professionals in the school architecture arena," Superintendent Dennis W. Kellison said in the release.

Other schools nominated included Colonial Trail Elementary School in Henrico County; Fairfax High School; James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg; T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria; Culpeper High School; Georgetown School in Chesapeake; Kersey Creek Elementary School in Hanover; Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk; Mountain View Elementary School in Harrisonburg; Grassfield High School in Chesapeake; and Ware-McSwain in Staunton.

In addition to the People’s Choice Award, Daniel Morgan was honored with the association’s Distinguished Design Award in the Conference Exhibition of School Architecture and the Virginia Educational Facility Planners Merit Award for Renovation/Addition for 2006-2007.

VMDO Architects of Charlottesville designed the renovation and addition at Daniel Morgan. The project had a construction cost of $24.3 million.

VMDO Architects was founded in 1976 and is the youngest firm to receive the T. David Fitz-Gibbon Virginia Architecture Award, the most prestigious honor given by the Virginia Society of American Institute of Architects.

For further information, interview, and photography opportunities in reference to this project and VMDO Architects, please contact William Bishop at 434.296.5684, email at bishop@vmdo.com.