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original structure is more appropriately sized for the
Project: Eliot-Hine Middle School, school’s needs, is fully integrated with the historic
1830 Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC
structures, and provides a continuous circulation loop
Architect: Perkins Eastman DC that is repeated on all floors.
Interior Designer: Perkins Eastman Architects The reconfiguration permitted the design team to
Landscape Architect: Carvalho + Good make a number of important changes to the layout and
Structural Engineer: SK&A Structural Engineers use of space. The Eliot-Hine School Improvement Team
MEP Engineer: EMX Corporation
Civil Engineer: Bowman Consulting Group (SIT), comprising teachers, staff, parents, students, and
Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel Engineering DC neighbors, urged the Perkins Eastman architects to
Kitchen Designer: Nyikos-Garcia Foodservice Design create spaces for students to gather in relaxed settings
AV/IT/Security Consultant: Educational Systems Planning for casual interactions and camaraderie. In response,
Acoustical Consultant: Arup USA, Inc. the designers provided “extended learning” spaces
Hazardous Material Consultant: Apex Companies, LLC
Energy Analysis: Lilker EMO Energy Solutions located at major intersections of the building to be
Cost Estimator: VJ Associates used for informal collaboration and socialization.
General Contractor: Turner Construction Company The old gym located on the third floor of the
1935 addition was too small to accommodate a 21st-
managing director of Perkins Eastman. Eliot-Hine century athletic program. The light-filled gym in the
occupies a full block between Constitution Avenue and new addition is designed to be used for after-school
C Street, NE, in the Capitol East neighborhood. “The activities without affecting security in the rest of the
main historic entrance is on Constitution but C Street building. The former cafeteria was buried in a below-
on the opposite side of the building is an important grade portion of the ground floor. Now, the cafeteria
thoroughfare into the city and the school had kind is located at the intersection of the original and new
of turned its back to it and to its Kingman Park buildings with direct access to the outside, and is
community to the north,” explained the architect. “The near the “community” C Street entrance making it
rear area was used almost as a mechanical yard with easily available for neighborhood use. Two interior
dumpsters. We wanted to fix that.” courtyards, whose access had been blocked by the
The design team began by demolishing additions 1960s addition and had become a dumping ground for
made in the 1950s and 1960s and preserving the
original 1931 building and its smaller 1935 extension.
Rankin reported that one of the problems with the
later additions was that the floors of the newer and
older structures did not align. “The flow was terrible
and there were lots of little flights of stairs, dead-end
corridors, and weird corners.” The misalignment
posed significant accessibility issues and made it
difficult for school staff to keep an eye on kids during
class transitions. The new addition to the north of the
C Street façade before renovation. Courtesy of Perkins
Eastman Architects

C Street façade after renovation. Photo © Jeff Allen—Turner Construction

CIVICS LESSON 39