Community
City Year Project at Kelly Miller Middle School
Partnering with Gilbane and Gensler, DES DC is proud to be a part of the gratis City Year project at Kelly Miller MS in Northeast DC that transformed an existing multipurpose room into a dynamic space for students and City Year staff. The Americorps City Year program partners with public schools to help students who need extra attention in order to help them reach their full potential and make it to graduation.
Through a Visioning Session with the current students and staff, Gensler created the overall “Retreat” concept that shaped the theme of the new space. The idea of the ability to create division of spaces depending on the users’ function resulted in a flexible, bright, and relaxing room tying the overall “Retreat” concept together. The implementation of moveable furnishings and accessories allows for the room to be set up as a “Social Classroom,” “Quiet Retreat,” or “Staff Lounge” with endless possibilities due to moveable bookcases, task chairs, training tables, lounge seating, mobile markerboards, and casework.
DES DC assisted with several of the main design elements encompassing the “Retreat” theme. The City Year treehouse element is displayed through a display of panels that create a canopy effect and vibrant shadows with the intricate leaf cutouts. The panels also acted as a key component of the moveable bookcases which created divisions of space. Bob Moller (President) headed the design and coordination of the Homasote panel system, moveable bookcases, and kitchen casework that DES DC donated to the project. The detailed leaf patterns on the panels were created by Catholic University architecture students using a CNC router with customized CAD drawing produced by the Gensler architects specifically for this project. DES DC installers skillfully constructed the complex framing system to house the canopy elements as well as the panels and casework which truly transform the space.
DES DC greatly values the opportunity to give back to the community using our design and vendor resources on meaningful projects for the community such as the Kelly Miller MS City Year multipurpose space.