2025 East Best Projects
Best Higher Education/Research: McCourt School of Public Policy
McCourt School of Public Policy
Washington D.C.
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects)
Owner: Georgetown University
Lead Design Firm: RAMSA (Robert A.M. Stern Architects)
General Contractor: Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.
Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
MEP: GHT Limited
The design and construction of the 150,000-sq-ft facility presented a range of logistical and technical challenges shaped in large part by its prominent urban location in downtown Washington, D.C., coupled with the complexity of integrating new and existing infrastructure. Situated just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, the project had to comply with the District’s Height of Buildings Act, which limits structures to a maximum of 90 ft in order to preserve the city’s historic skyline.
One of the project’s most technically complex aspects involved connecting the McCourt building to an adjacent structure via a sixth-floor skybridge. Though essential to fostering a cohesive academic environment, the connection was complicated by differences in the two buildings’ structural and spatial configurations. A customized transition engineered within the skybridge gradually accommodates the elevation change while ensuring full ADA accessibility. Structural modifications were also required to support the bridge while preserving the integrity of both buildings.
Photo by Francis Dzikowski/OTTO, courtesy RAMSA
The building’s LEED Platinum certification was achieved through a holistic approach that includes rooftop photovoltaic panels that generate approximately 9% of the building’s energy use, a 5,000-gallon cistern for rainwater capture and high-performance facades featuring vertical fins and brise-soleil for passive solar shading. Advanced material technologies further reduce embodied carbon by an additional 30%.
Working closely with celebrated artist, designer and architect Maya Lin, the design team embedded sensory, educational and ecological narratives throughout the building. The main common space builds on ecological themes with a series of weather-responsive lights that echo environmental conditions in real time. Audio installations, recorded at various times of day and year, are broadcast through directional speakers above the main stairwell, grounding users in the rhythms of the natural world. Crowning the building is the Sky Garden, made up of elliptical pools, native plantings, and panoramic views of the Capitol that offer a contemplative space inspired by local ecology. The project was completed on time and budget.
