Benjamin Banneker Academic High School

Washington, District of Columbia

Firm

Perkins Eastman

Client

D.C. Department of General Services

Area

175,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$135,100,000

Completion Date

08/2021

©Joseph Romeo

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Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is one of the highest-performing public schools in Washington, D.C. Accordingly, the new building is designed to foster its strong culture, provide state-of-the-art labs and instructional spaces, and create a collegiate ambiance that will provide a transitional environment to the next step in a life of inspired learning. To create this ambiance, the Learning Commons—a dynamic and collaborative evolution of the library—functions as the literal and figurative heart of the school. Skylights suffuse each level with natural light, and generous interior glazing in adjacent instructional spaces enables that light to supplement the daylight that enters through exterior windows.

By visibly honoring the achievements of its namesake, an African-American polymath who acquired great knowledge and skill despite the constraints imposed by an 18th-century society, the school hopes to inspire these already high-performing students to continue to strive for achievement.
The building’s massing respects its historic neighbors and creates a balanced streetscape within its residential context. As the site is also a valued community open space, a dog park and a skate park have been integrated to create a campus that is truly the center of its community.