Project Description
Quinn Evans Architects adapted and redesigned surplus space within an historic urban high school building to accommodate 340 students in a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program. Embedded within the McKinley Technical Education Campus, McKinley Middle School offers the first public STEM middle school program in the District of Columbia. The design of the high performance education space reinforces collaborative and project-based learning which are at the core STEM. Classrooms and science and technology laboratories equipped with multiple technologies for 21st century learning are filled with natural light from the large windows of the original school building. Overhead distribution in the laboratories and flexible furnishings in the classroom spaces are adaptable to accommodate multiple modes of teaching in support of hands-on and project-based learning. Wide hallways that feature a strong graphic identity package are at the core of this exciting and engaging school environment. In addition, a unique professional development lab fosters collaboration, continuing learning, and experimentation for STEM educators.