The school’s mission is to offer a nurturing environment to its demographically and economically diverse community of learners, fostering creativity, cultivating curiosity, and forming lasting connections to develop self-empowered citizens. The re-imagined school elevates this mission.
A cornerstone modernization for east Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Maury Elementary School has served its neighborhood for more than 130 years. The need for greater capacity, and alignment with its community’s evolving needs led to an expanded and modernized school that creatively maintains the historic 1886 4-square classroom building and integrates an addition as compactly as possible on the existing site. A glass-edged atrium connects the historic with the new to celebrate the original façade while amplifying transparency and indoor-outdoor connections. Opportunities for learning are everywhere, as a high degree of interior glazing provides a sense of openness and connectedness. Design principles guiding the newly opened school include maximizing open space for physical education, informal play, and community use and creating a unique sense of place that inspires, attracts, and sparks children’s love of learning.
The 83,000 SF school accommodates 539 students. Classrooms are clustered into cohorts, with supporting facilities in each cluster. Shared areas in each cluster encourage opportunities for collaborative teaching and learning. The interior adds biophilic non-institutional elements to support a playful child-scaled interior. Coupled with modulated ceiling and sill heights, spaces respond to the age and size of the students. Sustainably designed to exceed LEEDv4 Gold certification, the facility is thoughtfully integrated with energy-efficient systems and a focus on well-being. Advanced energy modeling was utilized at each phase of the project to run daylight simulations, refine massing, fenestration, and wall assemblies. All stormwater is collected on-site via green roofs, bioswales, permeable surfaces and a cistern - all of which enhance learning opportunities within.
Team:
Architects: DLR Group
Other Participants: MCN Build, District of Columbia Department of General Services, A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc.
Photographer: Alan Karchmer / OTTO
Materials Used:
Facade cladding: Fiber cement panels, Carat & Avera, Swiss Pearl
Flooring: Polished Concrete; Luxury Vinyl Tile, SPRK, AVA; Porcelain Floor Tile, Exhibition line, Daltile; Atlas40 Sheet Flooring, Atlas
Bi- Folding Glass Wall: Series SI300 Folding Glass Wall System, Solar Innovations
Architectural Glazing Systems
Curtainwall: Series 6000, Curtainwall, Oldcastle Building Envelope
Roofing: TPO, Sure-Weld, Carlisle
Interior lighting: Specialty Lighting, Camman Lighting and Bartco Lighting
Storefront: FG-3000, Storefront, Oldcastle Building Envelope
Ceiling: Wood Acoustic Ceiling, Series 1100 Cross Piece Grille, 9Wood; Acoustic Cloud Ceiling, Compasso Standard Trims, USG
Wall Panels: Wood Wall Panels, Acoustic Wood Tile System, 9Wood
