Truesdell Elementary School

Located in Northwest DC’s Brightwood Park neighborhood, Trudesdell Elementary School’s modernization program included the renovation of an existing 1920s building and two new construction additions providing classroom and activities wings. The renovated building and additions are situated around a central courtyard space and include classroom spaces for grades PK-5, a new gym and dining space, and a child development center.

The southernmost addition features a new activities bar that includes a gymnasium, stage, dining commons, and spaces for art and music. The highlight of this building is a mass timber roof, composed of fourteen approximately 73-foot-long, continuous glulam beams running north-south, which support a seven-inch cross-laminated timber (CLT) deck spanning east-west. The roof spans clear over the double-height spaces of the gymnasium and dining commons. The mass timber roof is also supported by a conventional steel-braced frame structure. Notably, this is the first significant use of mass timber in a District of Columbia Public School project.