CORCORAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS & DESIGN, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C.
RETROFIT TEAM
ARCHITECT: LEO A DALY
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: Whiting-Turner
MATERIALS
LEO A DALY has completed phase-one renovations of the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design, the most significant update of the Beaux-Arts landmark in 90 years. The multi-phased project has been ongoing since May 2016.
The following is a sampling of materials used in the phase-one renovations:
LIGHTING: Alliance Lighting
WINDOW SHADES: Mecho
ACOUSTIC WALL PANEL: Whisper Walls
ACOUSTIC BAFFLE SYSTEM: Arktura
WALL-PANEL FABRIC: Carnegie
CARPET: Shaw Floors
ALUMINUM DOORS AND SIDELITES: Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope
THE RETROFIT
The redesign marks a new era for the revered arts institution that was absorbed by George Washington University in 2014. The project preserves an important piece of Washington’s architectural and cultural fabric, allowing the Corcoran to continue its legacy as a training ground for fine artists and designers while gaining a platform for engagement within a comprehensive university.
The renovation preserves what is widely considered to be an architectural masterpiece, originally designed by Ernest Flagg, while meeting the needs of 21st century learning. Educational functions that were previously housed in the basement and sub-basement are now elevated with every level, featuring a mix of social, learning and studio spaces.
Designers used a delicate touch in preserving historic interior finishes while transforming many of its functional parameters. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and many of its interior spaces were landmarked in 2015, meaning they could not be significantly altered from the original design intent.
To protect the interior finishes, classroom walls are designed to stop short of the ceiling, and their construction is easily reversible with minimal impact. Where needed, acoustic baffles and other acoustical treatments have been added to create an appropriate acoustical environment for education while limiting sound transmission to surrounding areas.
Much of the work is out of sight, or nearly so, to the public. New mechani- cal and electrical systems are tucked away in the building’s courtyard, attic and sub-basement. A new fire-suppression system, required by building code, was surgically crafted to minimize visual impact. Rather than attempt removal of the 120-year-old ornamental plaster ceiling (a costly and potentially damaging prospect), pipes follow the curves of coves and moldings, carefully blending into the architecture. Many plumbing fixtures were added to meet student demand without significantly reducing usable space.
Designers used a combination of laser scanning, ground-penetrating radar, and CCT pipe-camera surveying to create a 3D scan of the walls and their embedded systems. This data was fed into a digital model, creating a detailed picture of nearly every cubic inch of the facility. The team also used hygrothermal wall analysis to forensically analyze the building’s envelope for air leakage, moisture ingress and degradation of the building envelope. Then, computational fluid dynamics modeling was used to determine whether mechanical and architectural design solutions would achieve National Gallery of Art criteria.
The information collected was combined into what designers call a “data ecosystem,” using Revit. The process captured the intricate orna- mentation of the stone work on the exterior and the ornamental plaster and wood paneling of the interiors. As design progressed, the 3D model was updated to reflect improvements. The result is a comprehensive, historically layered picture of the 120-year-old building.
PHOTO: © LEO A DALY, BY RON BLUNT