Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
- Type: Addition / Renovation
- Size/Area: 94,407 SF
- Owner: Montgomery County Public Schools
- Location: 4301 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD
20814
SEI designed an innovative 94,407 SF, four-story
addition to accommodate increasing enrollment at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High
School. The tight urban site required radical three-dimensional solutions to
accommodate capacity and site uses.
The project was planned in two wings to optimize
programmatic adjacencies with the existing building. Both wings strategically
connect to the existing building, improving internal circulation. The front
entry was replaced to enhance the connections to the new four story wing while
providing a more clearly defined, prominent, and secure main entrance.
A new two story wing
floats on an elevated structure above a public promenade plaza overlooking the
new stadium venue. SEI designed an elevated tennis court structure above
parking, retaining a popular community amenity in this dense urban
environment. A pedestrian bridge connects the tennis deck to the
gymnasium level.
The addition features new 21st century
classrooms, seminar rooms, art rooms, science labs, technology labs,
administrative spaces and a high-volume dance room. A series of
collaboration areas were integrated into the building’s circulation providing a
variety of learning environments for students activated by technology, writing
surfaces, lighting and diverse furniture options.
To continually inspire its occupants, SEI showcased
the surrounding urban environment in our transitional spaces through the use of
full height glass walls in featured corridors and stairwells. To encourage
students to immerse themselves in their urban context, SEI designed a series of
adjacent studying nooks, gathering areas, and amphitheater type seating areas.
An atrium was also designed alongside the dance room, overlooking the stadium
and functioning as a gathering area for performances.
As a prominent addition to this notable school, SEI
abstracted the new facades from the rhythms and proportions of the existing
historic buildings, presenting a cohesive yet contemporary exterior.
photography by Lester Escobal
