Designing for the Future of Education

The ground floor of the academic building hosts the administrative spaces, welcoming students, faculty and guests with a unique atrium that extends to the 4th floor. The lower levels of the building feature 20 classrooms equipped with AV, screens, and interactive boards suitable for class sizes of 30-150 students. The building’s upper levels include faculty offices and student gathering spaces. For larger events, there is a subterranean 400-person auditorium, which is equipped with extensive AV and a sophisticated lighting control system.

To connect the campus, the academic building has multiple bridges to the existing building, as well as a 2nd floor bridge to the neighboring building with access to the main quad. There are also several outdoor areas for students and faculty to convene, including the green roof terrace on the 7th floor and the penthouse space, which boasts an impressive view of the DC skyline along with an underfloor air distribution system.

The LEED Platinum building’s mechanical system employs a heat recovery chiller and a high-efficiency dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) with fan-powered variable air volume (VAV) terminals. To avoid using natural gas, the building, inclusive of a large commercial kitchen, is completely electrified. The mechanical system is interconnected with the main plumbing equipment to generate free energy for the domestic hot water heating system.

To offset the utility costs, the building is equipped with a 33-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) array, which spans more than half of the roof and ties into the electrical distribution system. Further energy efficiency is derived from the use of light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures controlled by occupancy and daylighting controls. The plumbing system captures and treats stormwater to reuse for cooling tower makeup and irrigation. The plumbing system also supports the equipment and filtration requirements for the rooftop fountain.

A significant consideration when designing this secure educational facility in the dense downtown setting of Washington, DC was the proximity to the neighboring building. To optimize university programming and allow for more daylight throughout the campus, the building was treated as an addition to an existing structure rather than a standalone building. As an addition, the building was subject to more stringent building code regulations, making it more complex from a life safety perspective.

GHT worked with the DC Fire Chief, DC planning contacts and other design consultants to modify the existing fire alarm network system to expand the facility and ensure the building’s operations in case of a fire emergency. GHT designed a peer-to-peer network that allowed full fire department access and control of both portions of the building, regardless of which building entry they used.

The academic building faced the challenge of an aggressive design and construction schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic. When construction began in 2021, project coordination was virtual, whereas before COVID it would have been conducted in an on-site construction trailer. The pandemic’s supply chain disruptions meant that equipment had to be pre-released, and the project team had to be careful not to add any additional delays to the procurement process.

The compressed timeline required rapid decision-making, efficient resource allocation, and seamless coordination among architects, engineers, and contractors. The project team employed fast-tracking techniques, often overlapping design and construction phases to ensure timely completion.

With the project issued for construction prior to the long lead times and cost increases brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the design team’s ability to pivot was imperative to the project’s ultimate success. One late addition to the project was the 2nd floor commercial kitchen for student dining and event catering, which was added after the design development phase.

To respond to changing design needs and support the expanded kitchen operations, GHT worked with a culinary consultant to provide kitchen exhaust for the new commercial kitchen. Given the building’s fixed core layout and limited rooftop space for additional equipment, the incorporation of a kitchen exhaust and ventilation system posed a challenge. To navigate this changing design need, GHT carefully coordinated duct routing paths and intake and exhaust openings to remain code compliant, but not substantially alter the façade that had been approved by zoning and the client. The 2nd floor kitchen now supports the extensive kitchen operations throughout the facility for student and staff dining, as well as university events after hours.