Ballou Senior High School
Ballou Senior High School sets a new standard for K-12 education in the District of Columbia. The project was awarded by design competition to a joint venture with Bowie Gridley Architects. Upon entry, students and visitors are perched above a central, two-story dining commons with sweeping views of the entire building as it surrounds an internal and secure courtyard.
The design incorporates a “Hall of Fame” showcased along the School’s Main Street concept as a symbol celebrating Ballou’s history and achievements. Ballou’s Main Street features the major programs, revolving around a mind (administration), body (athletics), and spirit (arts) concept. Core academic spaces are organized into five distinct academies that each have classrooms, flexible multi-use rooms, and computer and science labs. The school also features a digital media studio, and one of the largest high school auditoriums in the region.
Kaya Henderson, Chancellor, DCPS
The new school exemplifies Ballou’s goals of creating a facility that not only promotes student success, but represents a facility serving as a community asset. Generous common spaces promote collaboration for a 21st-Century interdisciplinary curriculum and scholastic learning environment for 1,400 students, while a high-tech performing arts theater, athletic and fitness complex, auto-tech lab, health center, day care center and library have been positioned for easy community access.
