Project Overview

Infrastructure is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, soon to be amplified by the passage of the $550 billion Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill in 2021. Recognizing the significance of these trades, the District of Columbia has partnered with private enterprises to develop workforce training focused on viable employment opportunities in energy, construction, and information technology. The DC Infrastructure Academy (DCIA) coordinates, trains, screens, and recruits DC residents to fulfill local infrastructure needs and provide direct pathways to jobs with leading companies. With its offerings and enrollment expanding, the Department of Employment Services (DOES) and the Department of General Services (DGS) decided to transition the Infrastructure Academy to a larger facility: the 1950’s-era Spingarn High School campus. The VMDO-DC / BELL Architects team was chosen to lead the complete programming and design necessary to modernize Spingarn High School to serve as the new home of DCIA.

Key to the project is the notable historic significance and sensitivity of the Spingarn site. The DC Preservation League notes that the school was constructed in 1951 as a dedicated facility for African American students in order to relieve overcrowding at other segregated high schools in the District. As such, Spingarn is considered to be the District’s last segregated high school, with the process of desegregation beginning only two years after its opening. Notably, Spingarn’s curriculum focused on life skills including home economics, trade workshops, and laboratories. Although the school was closed and abandoned in 2013, its community role has made it a natural predecessor for the new DC Infrastructure Academy.