Embodying the Arlington Vision

Arlington High's social organization is articulated through the school's architecture.

Houses and focus areas occupy discrete spaces within these four towers at Arlington High School.

Most common spaces and schoolwide functions are located in a linear block along the front of the school building. At one end of the front is the "Great Hall"; the school's cafeteria, auditorium, and group gathering space. Athletic areas flank the south end of the building. To the building's rear, separated from the schoolwide areas by atriums that house stairs and locker banks, are four "towers" several stories high. Houses and focus areas occupy discrete spaces within the towers. These spaces generally include several classrooms, teaching team offices, student computer labs/study rooms, and a "commons" area—all clustered together on one floor of a tower. Paired houses share science labs. Students are assigned lockers in the atrium adjacent to their house and strongly identify with their house space, where they spend half their time. Students' daily movements between the towers and the common spaces mirror their social memberships in both their house or focus area and the larger school.