dumontjanks

As part of an effort to resolve decades of tension with its neighbors and to address legal requirements imposed by the Zoning Commission, Georgetown University embarked on the creation of a holistic campus framework plan. The immediate challenge was to resolve how the university could best address its goal to house 90% of all undergraduates on an active 24/7 campus. With our friends at Forest City Washington, we explored multiple scenarios from a student life, financial, and design perspective, and helped the university move quickly into construction on a new residence hall. Secondly, we addressed the needs of the university's clinical partner, MedStar, by proposing innovative solutions that resolved the problems posed by tight urban condition and immediately addressed needs while minimizing enabling projects. We then focused on the campus’ potential for academic expansion, the creation of an open space framework that extends the wonderful character of the historic quad, transportation, athletics and recreation, energy and infrastructure, the creation of a new capital planning framework that emphasizes reinvestment in existing facilities while also identifying high-value growth opportunities, and the expansion potential of the university's downtown campus. Extensive stakeholder, regulatory, and neighborhood communication and engagement were critical. After completing the framework, DumontJanks helped the university successfully guide the plan to adoption through the D.C. regulatory process.

DumontJanks has since continued to work with the university on various planning studies through multiple continuing services contracts. Recent work includes a study of the Leavey Student Center, where we examined options to reimagine and enliven the building’s interior and to add a significant addition and new entry portal on the building’s north face, and multiple investigations of the university’s downtown Law Center campus, where we considered ways to strengthen existing academic programs and potentially densify and add additional academic programs, both on land currently owned by the university, and through various partnership strategies. Other studies include an academic master plan, a reimagining of the Thompson Boat House, various parcel studies, the creation of renderings to support the capital campaign, and initial studies to help reposition the Lauinger Library.