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Constructed in 1935, the Palisades Recreation Center was an early example of a public recreation facility built in the Nation’s Capital. It was sited overlooking the Potomac River on land that was a Native American habitation over a millennium ago. In 2016, the facility was added to the District of Columbia’s list of Landmark Structures and list of Landmark Sites. These designations limited the scope of what could be modified in a modernization and renovation.
The existing property includes several acres of land with an outdoor splash park, basketball court, baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, skate park, community gardens, wooded areas, and a nature walk serving the recreational needs of the Palisades community. Although well-loved and used by the community, major portions of the existing facility were outdated, worn, and required immediate improvement and replacement; the building had not seen substantial improvement since its construction.
In 2016, the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the Department of General Services (DGS) initiated their efforts to bring improvements and new facilities to the Palisades community. CGS Architects was commissioned to collaborate with District agencies and community stakeholders to design and administer construction on a modernized and expanded community recreation facility and extensive site redevelopment. CGS Architects worked closely with regulatory review boards and their staffs including the DC Historic Preservation Office, Federal Commission of Fine Arts, and the US National Park Services to sensitively restore and enlarge the existing landmark structure and site.
Particularly of note, dirt was pushed to the periphery of the site during original construction of the building, moving Native American artifacts to these areas where they still sit today. During the renovation, many of the artifacts were retrieved and placed in the Palisades Museum which is located within the recreation center.
The Palisades Neighborhood Library houses approximately 12,000 volumes and is DC’s sixth-oldest library location, opening to the public on November 20, 1964. The current building is the second home of the library, which was started as a sub-branch in the Conduit Road School, a one-room schoolhouse in 1928. The existing building had not undergone substantial renovations and improvements since its original construction.
Though the neighborhood library had ‘good bones’, the building needed significant work to be brought up to modern library program standards and a more functional resource for the community. Many of the building systems, including mechanical, electrical, lighting, and plumbing, were original and required complete replacement. The facility also required significant improvements to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act. The building envelope including the walls and roof did not incorporate insulation, which was added. New roofing was installed and designed to support a green roof system required to meet stringent DC stormwater management and sustainable sites mandates.
The original vestibule and circulation desk volume was replaced with an expanded entrance, aligning with the established rhythm of the existing building bays and structure. The design utilized exposed structural steel framing elements and a continuous aluminum storefront and entry system. The glass volume at the entry and lower level allows for greater connectivity between the building interior and the exterior environment while making the building's spatial layout more understandable to the community.
Windows at the second-floor children’s reading area were substantially lowered to bring daylight into the building and allow for enhanced exterior views. Bay window reading nooks were designed for each opening where kids have been known to curl up with a good book or take a nap. Bright colors and murals also enliven the children’s reading area.
The library system initially believed this renovation would be a temporary fix with the assumption they would need to expand in the future. In an exciting turn of events, the project was such a success that DC Public librarians unanimously decided there is no need to envision a new library. The Palisades Neighborhood Library is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Founded by educator Elizabeth Ely in 1972, the Field School originally housed 44 students above Regina Cleaners in DC’s DuPont Circle. After two years the school more than doubled its population to 97, forcing them to move a townhome in DC’s Kalorama neighborhood. Eventually they purchased another home across the street and the two buildings were used for their now 220 students. In 1998 the Field School once again needed to move for their growing academic program. The Cafritz mansion fit the bill; an Art Deco mansion on 10-acres in the Foxhall neighborhood of Washington, DC.
In 2002, CGS Architects completed a campus plan for the new space, utilizing the existing residence and adding two buildings; Aude and Sapere, meaning Dare and Be Wise in Latin. In 2012, the Field School engaged CGS Architects to again to update and expand their facilities.
The updated program impacted all aspects to their campus–academic, arts, athletic, and administration–creating two new integrated structures, the Elizabeth Meeting House and the Bridge. In the Meeting House, the focus was on providing a new school entry and a new all-school gathering space at the heart of the campus. The Field School requested a gathering space that feels like a ‘family room’ while being flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of activities, performances, presentations, and formal or informal gatherings. The Bridge contains performing arts spaces, a music performance space/classroom with adjacent recording studio and isolation booth, art and science labs, and classrooms.
CGS Architects worked with a broad constituency from the school community to develop a design that reflects the unique culture at the Field School. “Vibe” sessions were held with key stakeholders and then followed up with frequent design discussions facilitated with the use of an evolving 3D model. Through that process, a design was developed that reflected the school’s vision down to the finest detail while accommodating a complicated and diverse program.
The new structures are tucked into the hill next to the mansion, integrating them into an already tight composition of existing buildings on a steeply sloping site and creating the feel of a small hill town. Outdoor spaces, adjacent to and on top of the new structures, provide a myriad of gathering opportunities of varied scale and size for the school community. The Meeting House is embedded in the site with a habitable roof for up to 500 persons.
The mansion’s front door was used originally utilized as the school’s main entrance, but the new structure became the new face of the program. The existing mansion housed a circular staircase with gold leaf ceiling and was a prominent element for students and teachers. When discussing what the entry should be, this form was an obvious starting point. The new entrance rotunda worked a ‘knuckle’, connecting the existing buildings to the new Meeting House. The rotunda entrance serves as a clean and identifiable front door and opens to spectacular views into the landscape.
Founded in 1799, Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School is the oldest Catholic high school for girls in the United States. In July of 1993, a devastating fire destroyed their ca. 1873, National Register eligible Academy Building, initiating a new chapter in the school’s long history and sparking a close relationship with CGS Architects that has spanned almost thirty years and twelve design and construction initiatives. Throughout the process, the firm has redefined Visitation’s campus and developed multiple facilities that support the school’s embrace of 21st century educational initiatives and collaborative learning paradigms.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the Visitation community embraced the opportunity to re-vision their program and propel the school into a vital future. CGS Architects resurrected the Victorian National Landmark building within its salvaged exterior masonry walls, achieving a balance between preserving the historic façade and implementing modern interior spaces. The first floor features a replication of the original reception parlors while the upper floors house new classrooms, administrative office and gathering spaces. On May 5, 1995, the building was rededicated as Founders Hall. Following the accelerated reconstruction process, CGS Architects developed a new campus master plan as a roadmap for incremental growth and change. Significantly, the firm envisioned a new campus core that quickly became the identifiable heart of the school community – space that facilitates passage and the casual interactions that nurture connections and strengthen relationships. Subsequent projects included the adaptive re-use of existing facilities to create a chapel / performing arts venue and a new physical education building that reinforces the “urban” edge and defines space for outdoor gathering. The newest building initiative promotes the school’s emphasis on convergent STEM disciplines by adding new laboratory / science learning spaces and fine arts studios. In addition, a new student-commons forms the “watering hole” between a ca. 1950’s classroom building and existing library structure to support social learning and create a venue for engagement and connection.
The Lab School of Washington is an innovative learning community fostering scholarship and creativity in students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia and ADHD. The Lab School’s arts-based program, designed for these students to thrive, includes a vibrant performing arts program, however the school had an existing small Black Box Theater that was inadequate to support their growing performing arts program.
CGS Architects was commissioned to prepare a master plan for the Lab School’s Reservoir Road campus in Washington DC. Among other program considerations they were asked to propose options for an expanded or new theater space. Through analysis it was agreed that expanding the existing Black Box Theater was not an option, so other locations on the campus were reviewed. It was determined that the existing underused natatorium provided a viable opportunity. A study of the athletics building showed that the volume of the natatorium space was a perfect fit for the 275-seat theater while also keeping the gymnasium. Raked seating went into the swimming pool with room underneath the seats for low volume air distribution from below. The pool’s pump room, perfectly located immediately backstage, became the scene shop. Some of the locker rooms were maintained as restrooms but the large space allowed for an additional music room and recording studio that doubles as the Green Room. The renovation includes a generous lobby with box office serving both theater and sporting events.
Charles H. Houston Elementary School, located in the Deanwood Neighborhood of Washington, DC, was originally constructed in 1962 and designed by Victor B. Spector & Associates. In 2018, plans were prepared for a fully modernized facility that could bring the program into compliance with current DCPS Educational Specifications and reinforce 21st century learning paradigms. Due to existing site constraints, the modernization was undertaken in two phases with the existing 1962 School building fully modernized in Fall 2019.
The project scope included the modernization of first and second floor academic, early childhood, special education, and administrative spaces. Additional programs were renovated to provide up to date teaching spaces, media center, welcome center, administration offices and support. Existing spaces were dramatically reconfigured to replace original dark, internal double loaded corridors with new single loaded perimeter circulation infusing the circulation and adjoining spaces with abundant natural light. The Design utilizes the metaphors of animals and environmental eco-systems to illustrate and reinforce concepts of diversity, community, and social awareness. Wings of the building are identified by animal themes representing South American jungles, the African savannah, and North American woodlands to exemplify how diverse groups can coexist in the same place, at the same time. The use of vibrant color is central to the design of the modernized School, activating the sense of place and creating a welcoming identity within the school, and to the neighborhood. Public art installations play an important role in the school’s thematic and cultural expression as well. Site specific works are built on the foundations of four supporting themes; nature and the natural world, community and unity, inspirational messaging and heroes. These unique and colorful expressions inspire Houston’s young learners and help to create a rich and vital setting that fosters important personal connections and instills great neighborhood pride.
The District’s premier comprehensive high school of 1,600 students had been in dire need of renovation and expansion for decades. Originally constructed during the Great Depression to educate 750 students, the program grew apace with the surrounding community, taxing available educational space. Awarded through a design competition process, the proposed modernization and expansion focused-on right-sizing academic space, expanding facilities to accommodate significant program growth, and re-visioning spaces to reflect and accommodate the diverse school community.
Through an efficient and organized design process, the project opened for its 2011-2012 academic year with only one year of off-site swing space necessary. The site, involving 300,000 SF of renovated existing space and 75,000 SF of new construction, was reorganized into three major venues, each independently operational for school and community use. The Academic Building features a dynamic 10,000 SF, 4-story, landscaped atrium with a dramatic skylight roof sheltering space for the school community to gather and engage. The Athletic Center strategically positions two new gyms with an exercise facility in the original Power Plant, next to the recently completed Aquatic Center and forming a new athletic recreation complex. The exciting new Visual and Performing Arts Center, entered through a new 2-story lobby, includes an 850-seat state-of-the-art auditorium with scene shop, black box theater, band and music rooms, 2D and 3D art studios, choral arts and dance studios, adjacent to a robotics lab, media center, cybercafé, media production, and computer labs.
The Commons at Stanton Square is a unique collaboration created by the Horning Family Fund who partners with communities to address inequity and improve educational and economic outcomes for children and families in Washington, DC’s underserved Ward 8. In addition to Community of Hope - a non-profit committed to providing resources for mental health, homeless prevention, and healthy pregnancies - the building houses Martha’s Table - an active charity and volunteer center supporting strong children, strong families, and strong communities through access to high-quality education, healthy food, and community support. From inception, the building’s program goals were to manifest Martha’s Table’s mission through initiatives that assist low-income parents by providing quality education focused on literacy, social and behavioral development, health and well-being, and parent engagement.
The building forms a neighborhood core and serves as a hub for the wide range of community services it provides. Distinct programs are each configured in a manner to operate as “programs within the program” to ensure appropriate security and confidentiality for the clients each serve. The heart of the program is manifest in the “Crossroads”, a central hub around-which all building spaces and program activities flow. Filled with light, color, and texture, it connects the community on all levels with programs such as cooking demonstrations, live music, dance, and activities for neighborhood children. In this regard it lives the concept of the “Third Place”; public places where people gather and interact, allowing users to simply enjoy the company and conversation around them - the heart of a community's social vitality. The neighborhood a child grows-up in is a critical determinant of their future outcomes. A complex web of social, governmental, physical, and economic factors defines their success. In this context, the community impact of the Commons is palpable and measurable. Each day, visitors shop for free, fresh food, teens and adults utilize wellness screening services and neighborhood children stream to classrooms for daylong and after-school care. CGS’s vision and collaborative efforts ensured that the building quickly become deeply embedded in the community and manifest the program’s belief that every child – regardless of zip code – deserves the opportunity for their brightest future and a deeply engaged family and community committed to their success.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts was established in 1974 and remains the sole DC public high school to offer a dual curriculum encompassing both professional arts training and academic enrichment in preparation for college and careers in the arts. It was born to “house the creative soul of the District” and to mirror the rich cultural diversity of our country. In a new facility, the school was looking to reflect their values and facilitate a nurturing and inspiring passion for arts and learning in talented students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to develop their artistic skills. The CGS Architects Design Team won an International Design Competition for the commission in 2013. As the Design Architect, CGS was challenged to transform the aging, ca. 1898 National Landmark structure through a comprehensive modernization and expansion program to create a world-class facility that aligns with the School’s reputation as one of the Nation’s premier High School of the Arts programs.
CGS Architect’s approach to the challenge was rooted in developing a solid understanding of the original building fabric in order to respect and dignify the architecture while evoking an interpretation that is understandable to its stewards, occupants and visitors. Based on thorough research, the historic fabric of the existing original structure–which over the years had undergone significant demolition and unsympathetic interventions–was meticulously transformed. Original spaces were efficiently utilized to accommodate modern academic spaces. New construction–expressed in contemporary design and materials to differentiate from original structure–radiates from the core of the restored historic buildings with new mid-section and rear additions housing large studios, performance venues, and rehearsal spaces. The "Arts Machine" design expresses the functions within, promoting interdepartmental awareness and collaboration while inviting the surrounding neighborhood to experience the products of its diverse pre-professional programs. The academic and performance environment revolves around a four-story sky-lit Atrium featuring a new, iconic, 800-seat theater at its core, representing the institution’s metaphoric ‘heart’. Once isolated floor plates and dark, labyrinthine corridors are rationalized to circulate around the Atrium, exposed to natural light and dynamically positioned to be open to views across this central space. At the Atrium floor is located the institution's central and defining space providing flexible furnishings and serving many school and outside functions. Two additional major rehearsal and performance venues–the Performance Hall and Black Box Theater–are accessed directly through a stand-alone lobby. Excavated space below the Atrium allows required parking to be concealed from view without compromising the overall project massing and footprint, thus preserving the limited outdoor space primarily embodied by the restored historic front lawn. Exterior amenities, including the outdoor Entrance Plaza, the Media Center Terrace sheltered under the grand two-story portico, and the Education Terrace on the Ellington Theater Roof with its spectacular views across the city, all contribute to Ellington's expression of renewal and revitalization. The product at Duke Ellington is a historical rebirth that does not mimic but codifies, does not copy but magnifies the spirit of this special program. In the end, the building is telling a story, and we have let that story go on.
Ferrari / Maserati of Washington was originally housed in a non-descript strip mall. But the dealership had long aspired to a facility more befitting their icon automotive brand. CGS Architects was hired to create a ‘museum-like’ new space for Ferrari / Maserati and an adjacent Lamborghini showroom several years later under the same ownership team. The aesthetic theme for both facilities centered on ‘functional art’ aimed at capturing the essence of Ferrari’s mission to fashion “unique creations that fuel the Prancing Horse legend and generate a “World of Dreams and Emotions."
The Ferrari / Maserati showroom is a modern facility that creates a club-like atmosphere for its sales and service centers. The palette is ‘clean’ and organized with multiple volumes of differing materials comprising the structure including steel, glass, metal panels, and concrete block. A full auto service facility and race shop are visible through interior glass walls from adjoining showrooms, the customer lounge, and a merchandise boutique. The two-story showroom presents as an illuminated glass case for the display of these world-renowned automotive works-of-art. Subsequently, the owners of Ferrari / Maserati purchased a Lamborghini franchise and looked to CGS Architects in to also remake their facility. The building is a visual expression of Automobili Lamborghini’s corporate desire that the new showroom honor the exclusive and signature Italian styling that defines the character of all Lamborghini automobiles. To this end, the dealership creates a balanced composition of minimalist forms and fine materials to ensure that automobiles always remain the focus of attention. Within the showroom, interior space-defining elements create separate areas for new and used vehicle presentation as well as merchandise display. The combined bar and reception counter is an important welcoming element within the showroom oriented towards the brand’s valued customers and enthusiasts.