Gilbane Celebrates Ribbon Cutting of DC Bilingual Public Charter School

Officials from the DC Bilingual Public Charter School joined representatives from Gilbane Building Company and Hord Coplan Macht to celebrate the official ribbon cutting of the 27,000-square-foot addition to DC Bilingual’s Ward 5 campus in Washington, D.C.

Designed by Hord Coplan Macht, this phased-occupied modernization project included an addition to the existing building, which expanded its current campus and increased student capacity to more than 700 students. Improvements and upgrades to the campus include age-appropriate classrooms and furniture, an expanded gym and updated art and music spaces. New spaces include an art studio, culinary and computer labs, a bilingual library, breakout instruction areas and student support areas for intervention, testing and mental health.

This project provides students with improved spaces for indoor and outdoor play, featuring an expanded gym and outdoor playgrounds. Flexible collaboration spaces include a larger stage and retractable wall in the updated gym, indoor multipurpose areas and a variety of new workspaces for teachers and staff. The LEED Gold school not only prioritizes positive impacts on health and well-being, but safety as well. Heightened security measures include streamlined entry points, a new sidewalk around the parking lot perimeter and a new traffic pattern.

In celebration of the ribbon cutting and Construction Inclusion Week, Gilbane provided a gift of books to help fill out their new library space and presented to the school’s third-grade students. This presentation was a part of Construction Inclusion Week’s “Welcome to the Class of 2032” community engagement initiative.