k 12 public schools cox graae spack

cox graae + spack architects

We Believe..... in the principles of design excellence.... in high quality, beautiful, and sustainable design that celebrates the values and culture of each unique client.... in creating spaces and places that foster a deep sense of pride in their users.... in the incredible and transformative power of Architecture.

cox graae + spack architects

our history cox graae + spack architects is a nationally recognized

architectural design, planning, programming, space planning and interior design firm with a professional staff of 25 based in the Georgetown district of Washington, DC. Founded in 1981, the firm has been awarded over 70 regional and national design awards for commissions that encompass historic preservation, renovation, adaptive re-use, additions and new construction. The firm’s body of work has received consistent praise from clients

and architecture critics alike for its sound planning principles and clear architectural expression that is sensitive to the existing context and reflective of each client’s unique culture.

We are engaged

and challenged by the creative process of working with community-based projects to develop a framework for consensus building and intelligent decision-making.

cox graae + spack architects’ portfolio illustrates our ability to create high quality, beautiful and sustainable projects that celebrate

the values and culture of each client. We create places designed not only to satisfy the fundamental objectives of the program and meet all of the technical performance requirements, but to foster a deep sense of pride in their users. These qualities in each project combine with a seamless integration of appropriate materials, energy efficient design strategies and operationally efficient planning. Each environment must speak directly to the sole reason it exists – to support, enrich, and expand the lives of the clients who occupy it.

Beauty plays an important role in our approach. Spaces and materials are composed to engage the senses through light and texture.

Keenly aware of the diverse needs of each client, the buildings we design strike the simultaneous cords of being respectful of their context, yet contemporary, appropriate and unique. We incorporate proven materials, systems and technologies that are consistent with each client’s quality and budget expectations – with careful consideration of life-cycle costs and the implications for ongoing maintenance. Our commitment to delivering outstanding technical and aesthetic services leads to excellent designs and enduring structures.

our people With 25 architects, including 9 who are LEED accredited, cox graae + spack architects can bring the expertise and creativity required to deliver complex projects.

We

believe that it is important to engage in a process that develops consensus within a wide range of constituencies.

The

design process is invigorated, and the final solution more widely accepted, if the client

Chris Graae, FAIA

Bill Spack, AIA

Joanna Schmickel, AIA

community is invited to help shape the direction of the project.

Our policy of having Principals directly involved with each design commission ensures that every project meets the highest standards of design integrity and adheres to budget and scheduling requirements. Our success is measured by numerous repeat clients and an award-winning portfolio of finely-crafted designs which are appropriate, forthright and timeless.

Don Gregory, AIA

Derek Banocy, AIA

Chris Ambridge, AIA

Tom Wheeler, AIA

our k-12 clients Blessed Sacrament School, Washington, DC Bullis School, Potomac, MD Capitol Hill Day School, Washington, DC Dahlgren Elementary School, Dahlgren, VA DC Scholars Stanton Elementary School, Washington, DC Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, DC Early Childhood Academy, Washington, DC Eastern High School, Washington, DC Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC Georgetown Preparatory School, Washington, DC Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, Washington, DC Gonzaga College High School, Washington, DC Good Counsel High School, Olney, MD Grace Episcopal Day School, Kensington, MD Green Hedges School, Vienna, VA HD Woodson High School, Washington, DC Hendley Elementary School, Washington, DC Johnson Middle School, Washington, DC Landon School, Bethesda, MD

Maret School, Washington, DC National Presbyterian School, Washington, DC Norwood School, Potomac, MD Orr Elementary School, Washington, DC Roosevelt High School, Washington, DC SEED Charter Boarding School Campus, Washington, DC St. Anselm’s Abbey School, Washington, DC St. Thomas More Cathedral School, Arlington, VA The Field School, Campus, Washington, DC The Heights School, Potomac, MD The Lab School, Washington, DC The Langley School, McLean, VA The Madeira School, McLean, VA The Potomac School, McLean, VA The Reed School / Westover Library, Arlington, VA The Siena School, Kensington, MD The Visitation Academy, Frederick, MD Two Rivers Public Charter School, Washington, DC Washington Global Public Charter School, Washington, DC Washington International School, Washington, DC

our approach Active participation is essential to the successful planning and design of any project we undertake.

An interactive process ensures that this initial effort represents the interests and requirements of the project and all intended facility users. cox graae +

spack architects has a long history of assisting our clients develop projects that address the needs of broad and diverse groups of constituents.

It is our experience that in order to successfully administer the process, it is critical to understand and manage the concerns and goals of a wide variety of interested entities.

Through careful

listening and genuine collaboration, the partnership between the architect and client can yield a rich design solution that successfully reflects the goals and desires of the users.

The initial phase of work – the

FIRST LISTEN

DEVELOP ALTERNATIVES

TEST THE SCHEME

MOVE FORWARD

feasibility phase – is the critical first step to creating the foundation upon which

the

Fundamental

project

is

decisions

developed. during

this

period significantly shape the scope of work, the architecture, the cost and the schedule moving forward. Recognizing the critical nature of this first phase, firm Principals directly facilitate discussions, develop design direction and are the primary points of contact for the client.

Our approach during this important Assessment phase is guided by the following principles:

DCPS

JOHNSON MIDDLE SCHOOL In 2015, cox graae + spack architects prepared plans for an entrance renovation, reconfiguration and renovation of 1st floor academic and arts spaces, special education classrooms, and renovation of the existing commercial kitchen and cafeteria spaces. The entrance renovation upgraded the arrival plaza and building entry, presenting a new and friendlier face to the neighborhood. A new canopy extends out to keep students covered from the elements while entering into the building and a glass vestibule keeps the cold outside on winter days. Once inside, a new “Main Street” lobby is open and inviting, providing seating for visitors and ample room for circulation. First floor academic and administrative spaces were renovated to provide up to date teaching spaces, a library, welcome center an administrator’s offices. First floor arts spaces, including dance and music were renovated and outfitted with modern AV equipment and appropriate acoustic treatments.

DCPS

WILSON HIGH SCHOOL The District’s premier comprehensive high school of 1600 students had been in dire need of renovation and expansion for decades. Originally built in 1935, this $95m LEED Gold project - won by cox graae + spack in a design competition in 2009 - opened for the 2011-2012 academic year with only

one year of off-site swing. The listed DC Historic Site, involving 300,000 sf of renovated existing space and 75,000 sf of new, was reorganized into three major venues each independently operational for school and community use. At the heart of the campus - where there was once an uninviting paved outdoor space - the Academic Building now features a dynamic 10,000 sf, 4-story, landscaped central atrium with a dramatic tree-column supported skylight roof providing a central space for the school to gather and engage.

DCPS

HENDLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Flora Hendley Elementary School received a Phased Modernization as part of the 2010-2016 Capital Improvement Plan to bring the School into compliance with the current Educational Specifications (EdSpecs). Unique to the project is the aggressive plan approved by the city’s Chancellor, Kaya Henderson, to renovate six schools over the short summer break in 2013, Hendley Elementary School being one of them. A full renovation of the building’s entry, academic, administrative and support spaces was completed in the Ward 8, Washington, D.C. School. The concrete frame and brick elementary school structure built in 1957 is a four-story classroom wing with a one-story lobby and a two-story lunch room / auditorium wing.

In 1964, a two-story classroom wing (the Annex) was built at the south side of the site and five years later in 1969, a one-story kitchen addition was completed. The original building plus additions total 75,500 sf.

DCPS HD

WOODSON STEM HIGH SCHOOL HD Woodson High School first opened in 1973 occupying an eight-story concrete tower built upon a raised outdoor plaza. After more than 30 years of use, the school progressed into an advanced state of disrepair.

As a result, the original facility was demolished and a new building and associated site improvements were planned. The new HD Woodson High School serves 900 students in a curriculum based on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The plan to accommodate this unique curriculum features distinct academic communities, each configured for integrated learning. These integrated classrooms include operable dividers for conversion into two traditionally- sized classrooms. Each learning community has an integrated learning suite with lab rooms and conferencing areas surrounding a collaborative learning space.

THE POTOMAC SCHOOL

INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL The Intermediate School (grades 6 - 8) project wrapped up in 2013, and is the sixth building cox graae + spack has designed on the

campus. The Intermediate School received an addition totaling 8,712 sf that houses, six classrooms, a new main office, three breakout areas for students, new bathrooms and a two-story commons. Existing classrooms underwent renovations to establish cohesion between the original building and the addition. This project reflects the school’s mission to create an environmentally sensitive 21st century School that extends teaching spaces from the classroom to the outdoors.

2909 M St. NW, Washington, DC 20007 202.965.7070 | www.cgsarchitects.com