George Washington Middle School, Remodel and Renovation

With no room on site to expand, the challenge for this growing middle school was one of re-imagining the shape, use and scheduling of existing spaces. A small, rarely used, sloped floor auditorium was demolished to make way for a multipurpose room (MPR) and full-service kitchen. This new space easily accommodated the school’s lunch program, allowing the building’s auxiliary gymnasium to resume its full time athletic activities. In addition, the MPR is used for board and community meetings, after-school clubs, athletics, staff training, and performances.

It is a warm and inviting space, featuring a coffered, acoustical, linear wood ceiling, wrapping down to painted block walls, and ground face block trim and wainscoting. Dual projection screens, customized lighting, advanced sound systems and the owner-requested bi-directional symmetry of the ceiling and floor provides ultimate flexibility. During performances, or when otherwise required, the room’s dividing curtain doubles as a stage curtain. Adjacent storage allows movable furni ture to be deployed and configured in minutes to accommodate MPR’s many functions.

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