2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, K-12 Education: Ellen Ochoa Middle School
Ellen Ochoa Middle School
Washington D.C.
Award of Merit
Submitted by MCN Build
Owner: Prince George’s County Public Schools
Lead Design Firm: Grimm & Parker Architects
General Contractor: MCN Build
Civil Engineer: ADEK Engineers Inc.
Structural Engineer: Columbia Engineering Inc.
MEP Engineer: CMTA
Landscape Engineering: Bradley Site Design
Sustainability Consultant: Sustainable Design Consulting LLC
Subcontractors: Action Electrical Cont. Inc.; Can-Am Contractors Inc.; Dennis Stubbs Plumbing Inc.; F&B Concrete; Nelson Precast Products; Parkinson Construction Co.\; Pro Air Inc.; Strait Steel Inc.; Total Civil Construction; VSC Fire & Security Inc.
Honoring the first Hispanic woman in space, the $71.1-million, 158,000-sq-ft school advances the owner’s vision for equitable, high-performance learning environments.
Built to LEED Gold and Net Zero Ready standards, it features science labs, a STEAM lab, music studios, a gymnasium, a cafeteria commons, outdoor courtyards and a full athletic field.
Located on the site of a former community park and embedded within a dense residential neighborhood, the project required the disturbance of more than 12 acres of wooded land.
Photo by Sam Kittner Photography, courtesy MCN Build
To protect the surrounding community and natural environment, the team implemented a full temporary stormwater management system and reinforced erosion and sediment control measures.
Oversight by the local permitting agencies was rigorous, requiring constant coordination and responsiveness to evolving site conditions. The design restores key public amenities, including two courtyards, a sports plaza, play areas and a west-facing athletic field.
