Woodrow Wilson High School

1. 2009 Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture Woodrow Wilson High School Washington, D.C. Projects in the Design Phase Design Concept Award cox graae + spack architects with Fanning Howey

2. Woodrow Wilson High School 2011 Site 2009 Site

3. Building a Better Neighbor Community Environment: The restoration of Woodrow Wilson High School will take a beloved community building into the 21st century. Restoration Historic preservation efforts will focus on adaptive reuse of the 1930s structures, as well as restoring existing brick, woodwork, interior slate, and terrazzo flooring. The Jewel of Ward 3 The original 1930s design was conceived as jewels on a necklace. The new design concept respects this theme by preserving the existing configuration and curved circulation arcade. Community Access The design establishes one primary/student entrance and three community entrances. The primary/student entrance leads visitors in to the large “crossroads” atrium. The community entrances provide after-hours access to the Athletic Center, Main Atrium, Cafeteria/Commons, and Visual + Performing Arts Center. Access Points Primary/Student Entrance

4. A New Take on an Old Tradition Community Environment: Woodrow Wilson High School has a history of serving the community; however, over the decades the change in academic configuration has caused the public-use space to be poorly arranged. The design uses renovations to create the following community facilities: Athletic Center Located next to the newly built natatorium Renovated auditorium serves as new gymnasium New auxiliary gymnasium with showers/lockers for residents Visual + Performing Arts Center Renovated media center and gym serve as Performing Arts space Includes dedicated lobby and arts terrace Acts as community theatre Cafeteria/Commons Available for public meetings and as a surge space for after-school events Athletic Center Cafeteria/Commons Visual + Performing Arts Center

5. Supporting an Academy Approach to Instruction Learning Environment: Despite the limitations of the physical environment, Wilson has developed a highly successful academy program. The design transforms the existing core building into a series of schools-within-a-school, which will align the building program with the current curriculum. Schools-Within-a-School Each academy is designed to create a self-contained learning environment including dedicated space for academy-level administration, classrooms, science labs, resource rooms, teaming space. Special Program Areas The design also provides special program areas such as: 2,810 square feet of JROTC space 6,260 square feet of Career/Technical space 1,060 square feet of Cyber Café

6. Wilson At the Crossroads Learning Environment: A key design element is the reclamation of the basement as a functional space and ground-level entrance. This floor is now home to administrative offices, the media center, and a soaring two-story atrium dubbed “The Crossroads.” A large skylight encloses the existing courtyard, reclaiming space for educational uses while providing the same sense of openness and connection to nature. The media center is located next to the restored Senior Garden, which provides a secure outdoor learning environment complete with beautifully landscaped grounds, sculpture, and outdoor seating. Section – “The Crossroads” Section – Media Center and Senior Garden

7. Greetings and Gardens Physical Environment: As originally designed, Wilson featured a series of gracious outdoor courtyards and a dramatic main entrance oriented around a large green space. The creation of the central atrium allows the building to establish a new main entrance at the north side of the site, away from the athletic fields that have been developed over the years. A series of large skylights respect the function and aesthetics of the original courtyards, creating a series of open, internal gardens where students can gather to collaborate and socialize. The skylights bring natural light into the center of the building. The transparency offered by the design allows students to orient themselves to familiar landmarks, including the school’s prominent tower. “The Crossroads”

8. Going Green Physical Environment: While historic preservation efforts focused on Wilson’s past, design efforts sought to create a sustainable future. When completed, Wilson will achieve LEED Silver certification and will be the first school in the Metropolitan area to incorporate a displacement chilled beam system. Other highlights include: 100% solar domestic hot water Ultra-low flow plumbing fixtures Rain water collection Photovoltaic Panels Replacement of 2 older electric services with 1 new480 volt service Photovoltaic Panels Daylighting in Cafeteria/Commons

9. A Community Effort Planning Process: The planning and design of Wilson used a collaborative process that relied heavily on community input. During the design phase the community school improvement team will meet every week to discuss continuing design issues. Educational Specifications Educational specifications were developed through the district’s internal planning department. Community input helped lead to the vision of creating schools-within-a-school to support the existing learning academies. Academic Program The development of the academic program, led by the Office of the Chancellor, included the following collaborative approaches: Community meetings Design charrettes Work sessions Campus Visual + Performing Arts Lobby

10. Continued Involvement Planning Process: Design Competition A design competition involving six teams led to the final conceptual solution. Community representatives made up a portion of the design jury and had significant input on each team’s solutions. Ongoing Involvement Community representatives will be involved throughout the project, including during the bi-weekly team meetings held throughout design and construction.

11. Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2009 Project Data

12. Exhibition of School Planning and Architecture 2009 Project Details

13. 2011: Dramatic Main Entrance 2009: Rear of Building

14. 2009: Unused Core Space 2011: Academic Crossroads/Atrium

15. 2009: Gymnasium 2011: Auditorium and Anchor of New Visual + Performing Arts Center

16. 2009: Auditorium and Steam Plant 2011: Gymnasiums

17. 2009: 1960s Gymnasium Addition 2011: Visual + Performing Arts Center with Arts Terrace