Alston Ridge Middle School is the first build of a revised middle school prototype to be constructed in Cary, NC. This design features small learning communities centered around flexible collaborative space.  Included in the program is a dedicated theater for 525 students.  Good sight lines are achieved with a sloping floor and angled seating and acoustics are enhanced with sloped ceiling clouds and angled walls in addition to carefully placed acoustical panels.  The theater will be an important piece of the arts education program at Alston Ridge MS.  The 210,000SF school is designed for 1,311 students (traditional calendar) with 82 teaching spaces and includes a full-sized gym as well as a 2^nd auxiliary gym.  Security features include clear circulation pathways with excellent visibility, vice-principal’s offices distributed on each floor level, and a main entry vestibule with bullet resistant glass, passing through the administrative area.  The classroom wing is oriented to face North & South to take advantage of the most consistent natural light and reduce energy usage.  The footprint is compact for a school of this size which will allow WCPSS to be able to fit the prototype on smaller sites in a county that is land starved due to its rapid growth.