Benjamin Banneker Academic High School has been named the 2025 Planet Positive Awards “K–12 Education” Winner by METROPOLIS, recognizing the project’s excellence in sustainable, healthy, and socially impactful design.
Located in Washington, D.C., the new school building is organized around a four-story Central Learning Commons—a unifying atrium that connects academic programs and social spaces—rising to the “Skyplace” terrace with views of the Washington Monument.
The fully electrified building is LEED v4 BD+C Platinum–certified and achieves an EUI of 20.2, outperforming its original target through a combination of rooftop photovoltaics, south façade shading devices, and site-mounted panels. Passive strategies and high-performance systems support thermal comfort and indoor air quality, while skylights bring daylight deep into the building footprint.
Beyond energy performance, the design supports student and faculty wellbeing with stress-reducing features such as warm materials, outdoor classrooms, and accessible green spaces—helping create an environment that promotes health, engagement, and learning.
As one of the first two D.C. schools pursuing Net-Zero Energy, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School sets a districtwide benchmark for future modernizations.
SK&A Structural Engineers provided structural engineering services for the project, supporting a modern, flexible learning environment within a 175,000-square-foot, four-story facility designed to serve approximately 800 students. Learn more
The building includes a range of indoor and outdoor learning and community amenities—rooftop terraces, an outdoor plaza, an athletic field, and a two-story gymnasium that cantilevers over the floor below. Long-span roof trusses span the gymnasium perimeter, while columns and braced frames transition through offset conditions down to the recessed cafeteria level—structural solutions that help enable the project’s open, connected spaces.
Congratulations to Perkins Eastman DC and the full project team on this national recognition, and for raising the bar for sustainable, student-focused public schools in Washington, D.C.
Source: Metropolis. (n.d.). Benjamin Banneker Academic High School. *Metropolis*. From https://metropolismag.com/planet-positive-awards/benjamin-banneker-academic-high-school/
