Context

HD Woodson STEM High School serves students from grades 9-12 in Washington, DC’s Ward 7. Owned and operated by District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the existing building was built in 1972 after the advocacy of civic leader, Howard Dilworth Woodson. Nicknamed the “Tower of Power,” Woodson became the first high school in the neighborhood and the building itself became synonymous with the hope of a better future that could be achieved through education.
By the turn of the century, HD Woodson STEM High School had deteriorated beyond repair. To provide the students of Ward 7 with the high quality of education they deserve, DCPS commissioned CGS Architects to design a new high school.

Solution

Developed around the core principles of integrated learning, transparency and flexibility, the building redefines academic models for collaboration and project-based learning. Additionally, the facility was designed to become a cultural center for neighborhood programs. Listening carefully to the broader community through an intensive engagement process, CGS defined a model for community amenities, including library spaces, recreation facilities and cultural arts venues that are separately accessed and operated beyond educational spaces and outside of the traditional academic day. Previously lagging enrollment numbers soared in the school’s first years as families returned to this high school.