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Higher education: The rebirth of a Washington, D.C., high school

Reconstruction Awards

Higher education: The rebirth of a Washington, D.C., high school

The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola.


By Robert Cassidy, Executive Editor | November 27, 2017
The Roosevelt Senior High School atrium

The Roosevelt Senior High School atrium is covered with 10,000 sf of electrochromic glass. Acoustical baffles, 32 feet in height, celebrate the many nationalities represented in the school’s community.

Built in 1932, the Collegiate Georgia–style Roosevelt High School campus in Washington’s Petworth neighborhood suffered from numerous shortsighted “improvements” made in 1977.

The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola, reopened the school’s historic front door (closed for 30 years), and infilled one of the three original courtyards. The team enclosed the courtyard with a 10,000-sf electrochromic glass skylight, which cut the project’s total heat load.

Painted-over WPA frescoes from 1934 were restored and relocated as part of the formal entry sequence. Stormwater improvements were turned into a “WaterWorks” learning environment.

 

Project Summary

 

Bronze Award Winner

Building Team: Perkins Eastman (submitting firm, architect) District of Columbia Department of General Services (owner) ReStl Designers (SE) Global Engineering Solutions (MEP) Smoot/Gilbane, A Joint Venture (GC).

Details: 327,870 sf. Cost: $128 million. Construction time: January 2014 to October 2015 (two phases).

 

See all of the 2017 Reconstruction Award winners here

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