In a partnership with DC Public Schools (DCPS), the program at first opened in a temporary location east of the Anacostia River, with the intention to establish a permanent location in the area that was worthy of Bard’s rigors and the support system dedicated to each student’s success. “We started in a temporary facility, so the space didn’t foster the sense of importance that the institution provided,” student Josiah Best told the local Washington Informer news site. Perkins Eastman DC was awarded the commission to establish Bard’s new home on a site that had once housed Malcolm X Elementary School—and before that, a community center of the same name—in a structure dating to the 1960s.

In their initial research, the design team spoke with Bard DC’s faculty and administrators and interviewed students from Bard’s other campuses in New York and Baltimore to understand their needs and desires. The team used that information as inspiration to design a diverse “learning landscape” of interconnected indoor and outdoor spaces that afford a wide range of educational activities that would fulfill Bard’s mission and vision—“the twin goals of equity and excellence in public education” that depends, in part, on “the creation of a supportive culture within a [single] school structure, thereby avoiding the challenges of dual-enrollment programs,” Bard President Leon Botstein wrote in a forward to the program’s 20th anniversary report, issued in 2022.

The modernized DC structure and new addition support that mission with academies within the school that emphasize advanced teaching and learning, invite community use, and establish new standards for sustainable urban school design within existing facilities.

At the heart of the school is the Socratic Walk, which climbs up from the entrance lobby through a central atrium and connects each floor and academy, from humanities to the sciences, as it culminates at the top floor, where skylights send natural light down through the atrium to illuminate the school’s interior spaces.

The new addition features elements that are open to the public after hours, including the gym, a stage, and choral and instrumental music spaces. An after-hours vestibule between the school and this addition also allows access to the fitness room, a general-purpose classroom, and the school store. The outdoor track and playground are also open to the public, as is a path allowing area residents to get to the nearby Congress Heights Metro stop a block away. These amenities are important elements of the school’s program, on the theory that young people can’t thrive without strong community access and support.

Bard High School Early College DC is not just an educational institution but a beacon of sustainable urban design. The exterior cladding on the older structure was completely replaced to complement the school’s surrounding urban and residential context while also providing energy-saving shading and insulation. By keeping the existing structure within that envelope, the project saved a significant amount of money and resources while also enhancing its thermal performance, where before there was no insulation to speak of behind the old brick facade—which had also become structurally compromised.

The new thermal envelope provides a continuous, unbroken insulation and weather barrier, while also providing more windows that allow ample daylight into the building’s classrooms—a known attribute of high-quality educational spaces that help teachers and students thrive.

The team also prioritized material health throughout the school with products that reduce environmental impact. They took a holistic decarbonization approach by addressing embodied carbon (saving as much of the existing structure as possible) and operational carbon (with energy systems that minimize reliance on fossil-fuel-generated energy).

The team used LEED and WELL standards as a design framework to prioritize indoor environmental quality, including air quality, daylighting, and acoustic performance. Using passive design strategies and efficient HVAC systems, the school is also designed to minimize its impact on our planet by targeting LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy certifications.

At every stage of the process, the design-build team presented to and gathered feedback from a School Improvement Team (SIT) comprised of school leadership, staff, teachers, community members, parents, and students. The SIT acted as a vital decision-making stakeholder. Our team hosted a class of students and gathered feedback directly from them. The community was also involved in the public art process, choosing local and international artists to create art representing the school, its history, and its academic and cultural values.

“Bard’s motto is ‘A place to think.’ It is a place where students’ ideas are taken seriously and where they are expected to be serious about their ideas. The experience is rigorous and difficult, our expectations are high, but so is the level of support that we are prepared to provide.” —Vanessa T. Anderson, PhD, Principal of Bard High School Early College DC

Perkins Eastman DC (PEDC) was the prime architect on this project.  Perkins Eastman’s expert Sustainability team collaborated with PEDC to create this exciting, high-performance learning environment.