Sustainable, state-of-the-art Deanwood Community Center creates
a place for people to come together

 

School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Professor Matthew Bell and Assistant Professor Isaac Williams, have been awarded a Committee of 100 on the Federal City 2011 Vision Award for their design work with EE&K Architects on the Deanwood Community Center in Washington, DC. Williams acted as senior designer on the project, while Bell led the design team. Their project was one of four recognized this year.

    

Built on the message, "a place to come together," the Center provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly place where community members of all ages can connect through a variety of resources and activities. Amenities of the center include a public library, early childhood development center, multi-purpose rooms and a gymnasium, as well as a large indoor community pool and outdoor playing fields. A notable element of the design is "the street," a glass-enclosed corridor on axis with the Deanwood Metro stop that connects the center resources as well as provides an inviting space for people to congregate and meet. The LEED-silver building incorporates ample daylight and advanced sustainable design, with a projected 40% energy reduction. Mature trees existing on the site were protected and integrated into the team's design.

"We designed the building to be responsive to the site on a variety of levels, from its relationship to the metro station to the way the interior provides a powerful connection to the adjacent outdoor recreation fields," said Bell. "In a way, the most important idea is that the building provides a setting for formal and informal community interaction for diverse age groups and interests."

The Vision Award is given each year to organizations and individuals that uphold the basic principles of the Committee of 100: projects that make notable contributions to the District of Columbia; are considerate in their use of land and in working with neighborhoods and communities; and who exhibit excellence in design.  A formal awards ceremony will take place June 1^st. To learn more about the vision awards, visit http://www.committeeof100.net/.