In response to a growing deficit of space resulting from an unprecedented enrollment increase, Perkins Eastman designed a new academic building at NOVA’s Loudoun campus. The Higher Education Center strengthens the school’s image as a forward-looking and active institution with classrooms, offices, a multipurpose event room, and specialized instructional spaces and resource centers. Extremely flexible interior spaces accommodate sharing with a rotating series of state university partners. The team worked with NOVA staff in a collaborative process to showcase flexible classroom configurations. The building’s exterior design harmonizes with the existing campus while heightening the sense of arrival on campus and announcing a new presence for the college along Route 7, Loudoun County’s busiest thoroughfare.