In her search to find the right location to open her flagship child care center, our client found inspiration in the unlikeliest of places: a long-closed unit of a prison complex just outside of Washington D.C. in Lorton, Virginia. Two of the historic buildings that once served as the maximum-security units at the heart of the old Lorton Reformatory prison complex have been re-envisioned and completely transformed to house the first location for Brynmor Early Education & Preschool as a component of the Workhouse Arts Center adaptive reuse project.

To preserve the history of the buildings, the design team maintained the historic volume of the spaces by minimizing full height walls while acoustically tempering the child care spaces. By holding pendant lights and suspended acoustical treatments back from the exterior walls, the existing windows provide light deep into the space and project uninterrupted volumes from the exterior, meeting the conditions of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for Rehabilitation, Fairfax County’s ARB Board and Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources. The majority of ductwork and utilities were installed along the mostly concealed central spine of the two buildings.

In place of the two-story rows of cell blocks are spaces which embrace the tall ceilings and windows of the existing building, taking advantage of the abundance of natural light. Windows along corridors and between rooms provide a feeling of openness, and visual connectedness and a subdued color palette was chosen to elicit a sense of calm in the spaces and encourage creative thinking. A secure courtyard between the two buildings connects the two buildings and allows for outdoor play and exploration.