An elegant fusion of glass, grass, copper, concrete and wood makes up the three-tiered structure that is Le Centre Brown, Tregaron’s newest addition. Though the brick-and-metal-clad building now fits in effortlessly with the rest of the campus, the process behind its design was long and complex.
After rigorous interviews involving five distinct companies, Shalom Baranes Associates Architects was chosen as the design team for the project. Baranes’ portfolio includes Union Market, the Tenleytown City Ridge and the Warner Theater, among many other areas around D.C..
In the interview with Baranes, Head of School Suzanna Jemsby was persuaded by the lead architect’s imagination, originality and natural talent.
“Shalom was creative, had the right pitch, and we felt that they were going to be great partners,” Jemsby said. “He even sketched design ideas in front of me in real time.”
Ironically, she was also drawn to his nonexistent experience in designing educational settings.
“I was interested in his work because he has never designed a school before and I was looking for something extraordinary,” Jemsby said. “He would be unfettered by typical school design, and that has borne out in what we have today.”
Once the architects had a basic building plan, the WIS team worked to refine the blueprint based on their case-specific requests and preferences. During this phase of the design process, Jemsby worked with project managers Dale Temple (the WIS Director of Facilities and Operations) and an external consultant from real estate agency JM Zell. The team’s vision for the project was specific and unique.
“That vision was for a building that did not simply look like other area schools on either the outside or inside,” Temple said. “The driving aesthetic was very much influenced by Scandinavian design principles such as incorporating clean lines, using modern and natural materials and maximizing natural light.”
Jemsby’s goal was to create something new, unexpected and unlike any other school in the area.
“It shouldn’t feel like a US American school, and I think we’ve achieved that,” Jemsby said.
The new building’s iconic wallpapered bathrooms were among the changes that the WIS design team made.
“I looked at the initial bathroom designs and thought, ‘No, this isn’t it. It still looks like a school,’” Jemsby said. “We wanted full-length doors, interesting colors and designs.”
Once the thorough planning was finished, construction company MCN Build took over. The company, founded in part by WIS parents Joseph Khoury and Bassem Boustany, also went through an intense interview process to secure the position. Their close connection to WIS reassured Jemsby that they would be committed to the project’s completion.
“One thing that they told me was, ‘We can’t afford to fail here because our children are students at the school,’” Jemsby said. “‘If something were to go wrong, we would have to look each parent in the eyes knowing we’d failed.’”
Moreover, many of the other companies that interviewed for the job treated Jemsby with disrespect, an immediate red flag in her eyes.
“The other firms were extremely conservative and had not thought through the idea that I could even possibly be the head of school,” Jemsby said.
Some of the construction companies assumed that the head of school was male and that ‘he’ was not present. MCN Build did not discriminate against Jemsby, reinforcing her faith that they would be good partners.
“Joseph and Bassem treat me with the respect I give them,” Jemsby said.
Once MCN Build was on board, the construction of the years-long project, first proposed in 2011, could truly start. As with any project, the team faced unexpected obstacles along the way.
“The most difficult challenges were getting thousands of vehicle trips in and out of the project site, all while keeping a safe environment and ensuring school operations continued,” Temple said.
In the end, the project was completed without any significant setbacks, leaving the team feeling proud and fulfilled.
“There are a couple things I’m proud of,” Temple said. “First of all, this project came in on time and under budget. Second, this truly is an outstanding building that does not look like any other school in the area.”
Jemsby is just as proud, noting that the change has been both physical and social, improving the WIS community as a whole.
“I always knew this would be a transformation for WIS, but comprehending the magnitude was not possible until the students came in on day one,” Jemsby said.
By Tindra Jemsby
