Built in 1932, the Collegiate Georgia–style Roosevelt High School campus in Washington’s Petworth neighborhood suffered from numerous shortsighted “improvements” made in 1977.
The project team, led by architect Perkins Eastman, restored the original cupola, reopened the school’s historic front door (closed for 30 years), and infilled one of the three original courtyards. The team enclosed the courtyard with a 10,000-sf electrochromic glass skylight, which cut the project’s total heat load.
Painted-over WPA frescoes from 1934 were restored and relocated as part of the formal entry sequence. Stormwater improvements were turned into a “WaterWorks” learning environment.
Project Summary
Bronze Award Winner
Building Team: Perkins Eastman (submitting firm, architect) District of Columbia Department of General Services (owner) ReStl Designers (SE) Global Engineering Solutions (MEP) Smoot/Gilbane, A Joint Venture (GC).
Details: 327,870 sf. Cost: $128 million. Construction time: January 2014 to October 2015 (two phases).
See all of the 2017 Reconstruction Award winners here
Related Stories
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 26, 2019
Sweetest sounds: Metropolitan Opera House
An early 20th-century opera house now hosts concerts from Disney Acapella to Weezer.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 25, 2019
The University of Chicago Harris School at the Keller Center
Project team goes all out for LEED Platinum and the Living Building Challenge.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 22, 2019
Let there be light: Union Station Great Hall
What’s the cure for a leaky skylight? Another skylight built above it, of course.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 21, 2019
Temporary quarters: Senate of Canada Building
Canada’s Senate gets an interim home in what was once the capital’s main train station.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 19, 2019
Springfield Technical Community College: Goodbye to 'the shuffle'
College unites student services under one roof.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 18, 2019
The Paint Factory: Not just a new coat of paint
An enlightened A/E firm is spurring redevelopment in an old industrial section of Little Rock.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 15, 2019
Back on track: Union Terminal renovation and restoration
Painstaking care went into restoring Cincinnati’s train terminal/museum complex.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 14, 2019
Museum at the Gateway Arch: Subterranean sensation
The project team used its creativity to overcome floods and other obstacles to construction.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 13, 2019
Zachry Engineering Education Complex: Rethinking engineering education
Texas A&M’s engineering school builds for future growth.
Reconstruction Awards | Nov 12, 2019
Linode Headquarters: High-tech + historic
New headquarters mixes old and new to help this fast-growth company attract top talent.