St. John Paul the Great Chapel

To support a new adjacent housing development in Prince William County, Saint John Paul the Great High School and Chapel was designed to serve 1,000 students with a curriculum focused on biotechnology. The design takes advantage of the sloping site by organizing a highly efficient four-story structure around an interconnected main street corridor. Off of “main street”, the building has four wings which are dedicated to major building functions. Wings serving the library and a theater are angled inward to create the experience of a welcoming cloistered courtyard at the entrance. Wings serving the recreation and food service angle out in the rear of the building to embrace the wooded landscape.

MTFA collaborated with the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and a design-build contractor to achieve dramatic cost reductions. Through foresight and diligence, costs were cut while retaining the fundamental design and program identity.