PROJECT  DC Bilingual Public Charter School Addition

LOCATION Washington, DC, District of Columbia, US​

ARCHITECT Hord Coplan Macht

CLIENT DC Bilingual Public Charter School

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Casey Smith, Scott Walters, Margaret Gaggioli-Prichard, Chris Peterson, Alex Garner, Laura Lumadue

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Hord Coplan Macht - Alyson Taylor
CONTRACTOR Gilbane Building Company - Santiago Mejia

ENGINEERS
SK&A - James Chavin-Grant
AMT Engineering - Brad Job
Interface Engineering - Kyle Rives
Interface Engineering - Kyle Rives

PHOTOGRAPHER Judy Davis Photography

CONSULTANTS (if applicable)
Lilker Energy Solutions

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  8/1/2022

PROJECT SUMMARY
DC Bilingual Public Charter Schools’ need for a 28,000 SF Addition and site improvements stemmed from the campus’ growing success and projected future growth of a doubled student population by 2027. The DC Bilingual campus posed a compelling design challenge due to its compact urban campus with an existing historical school building and vibrant bilingual community. From feasibility studies through design stages, DC Bilingual encouraged school and community collaboration. In response to this feedback and the needs of the school, the addition’s design focuses on three key goals. First, the proposed addition respects the historical nature of the 33 Riggs Road campus, while celebrating DC Bilingual PCS’s future and ethos as a vibrant Latin American bilingual culture and campus. Secondly, the addition intentionally creates strong indoor-outdoor connections to encourage and highlight learning and achievement. Finally, the addition, and its site, prioritize occupants’ and community members’ safety and welfare.
While the massing of the proposed third Classroom Wing reflects the historic classroom wings, the addition’s materials and façade articulations celebrate DC Bilingual PCS’s future and spirit as a bilingual campus in three central concepts: Light, Life, and Earth.
The new twelve classroom wing’s mass, at its core, is a traditional masonry building, representing the Earth or the foundation of the architecture in which the campus grows from. While prominent existing datums, such as the stone water table and cornice of the historic school building are carried through to the addition, the proposed masonry colors are distinctly proportioned and patterned to be reminiscent of landscape formations.
A panelized phenolic wood-look frame surrounds the masonry mass. This textured frame represents the vibrant life that stems from the tapestry of people who make up the DC Bilingual PCS community. The distinct paneled patterning draws inspiration from the colorful textiles of Latin American cultures. This same tapestry thought is carried through to interior ceiling acoustical baffles at the new communal spaces.
To highlight and amplify the strong spirit of the school, light fills all learning spaces. Intentional programmatic adjacencies of internal and external learning spaces, highlight the need for both indoor and outdoor learning, inviting students to learn, achieve, and lead in all settings. Connective glazed gaskets accentuate the physical connection between old and new.

The site design largely focuses on enhanced safety and wellbeing for all. Raised sidewalks and crosswalks, separate pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular circulation. All outdoor play areas are adjacent to interior learning spaces for secure and direct access and site solutions such as bioretention placement provides a natural barrier between students and vehicular circulation. The main new connective glazed gasket houses a new secured vestibule entry to the Addition, providing piece of mind to all occupants. Sustainable considerations, such as an intensive green roof, show acknowledgment of a shared responsibility for our wellbeing and future. Bilingual PCS Addition is an illustrative celebration of vibrant histories, cultures, and futures.

JURY COMMENTS (if applicable)

IMAGES – CAPTIONS & CREDITS

Image 1  Corner Detail, ©Anne Chan, Hord Coplan Macht
Image 2  Main Exterior, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 3  New and Old Connection, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 4  South Facade, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 5  North Facade, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 6  South Elevation, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 7  Interior Double Height, ©Judy Davis, Architectural Photographer
Image 8  Facade Detail, ©Anne Chan, Hord Coplan Macht

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF