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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.
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.