PROJECT R.I.S.E Demonstration Center
LOCATION Washington, District of Columbia, US
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 8/1/2014
ARCHITECT Cunningham | Quill Architects
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT N/A
OWNER/CLIENT District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER GCS, Inc.
PHOTOGRAPHER Bob Narod
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Ralph Cunningham, FAIA; Ana Baker, AIA, LEED-AP; Pete Blum, AIA; Heather Daley Rao, AIA, LEED-AP; E. Anton Markin
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center is the adaptive reuse of the historic Chapel at St. Elizabeths East Campus to create an interim innovation hub and community gathering space. St. Elizabeths East Campus, a national historic landmark owned by the District of Columbia, is a 180-acre site that was previously one of the largest mental health communities in the United States. A master plan vision for the campus, led by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, proposes to revitalize and transform the site to provide accessible education in technology and act as a business incubator for the community, focused on innovation driven technologies. As a part of the earliest phase of implementation, the adaption of the Chapel building into an interim innovation hub serves as a cornerstone for the campus master plan. The name R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center was selected by the community and is an acronym for Relate (Rel8), Innovate (Innov8), Stimulate (Stimul8), and Elevate (Elev8). The Chapel is a symbolic landmark for the local community because of its visual prominence from Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue. With sensitivity to this, the renovation preserved the historic exterior of the building, while dramatically altering its function inside. A new west entry from Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, exterior walkways, and public space transform the Chapel’s relationship to the community from that of a visual landmark, isolated behind the campus perimeter fence, to a community space directly accessible from the street. The new west entry and restored east entry both include the addition of glass canopies, bringing the spirit of the interior to the exterior and providing a glimpse of the renovated Chapel to the community. A new circulation spine bisects the ground floor, from east to west, and divides the original chapel into two large, flexible-use spaces. A “Digital Inclusion Center,” a state-of-the-art computer lab offering education opportunities, and additional classrooms and conference spaces are located on the lower level. The interior design incorporates simple geometric motifs and bold colors to reflect and emphasize the building’s new function. The consistent palette of bold colors and linear patterns recall the interior geometry of a computer and reinforce the deliberate effort to re-envision the space. In addition, the team collaborated with local artists to integrate their unique artworks within the design of the interior and exterior spaces. From initial concept to grand opening in less than six months, the revitalization of the Chapel is an exemplary model of how a design-build partnership can overcome the challenges of a short time frame. The team focused on tailored design gestures and capitalized on locally available materials and resources. This fast-tracked project was a true partnership between owner, design team and construction team.
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Exterior, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 2 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Great Hall Looking East, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 3 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Great Hall Looking West, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 4 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Great Hall, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 5 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Great Hall, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 6 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Lecutre Hall, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 7 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, New Stairs, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
IMAGE 8 R.I.S.E Demonstration Center, Digital Inclusion Center, Photo Credit: Bob Narod
R.I.S.E Demonstration Center
Category
State > AIA Maryland > Interior Architecture (AIA Maryland)
Winner Status
- Citation Award
Share