Category: Educational and Institutional

Educational and Institutional

Howard B. Owens Science Center

Project: Howard B. Owens Science Center
Client: Prince George's County Public Schools

Located in Lanham, Maryland, the Howard B. Owens Science Center is a dedicated STEM education center operated by Prince George’s County Public Schools and serving pre-K through 12th grade students. In partnership with Nichols Contracting, the renovated facility reimagines the learning environment with vibrant colors, textured flooring, atomic-pattern wall panels, and large murals that spark curiosity and encourage exploration.

The renovation also features an outdoor classroom with a pollinator garden, composting and weather stations, a Zen garden, and a rain garden, offering hands-on learning in sustainability and environmental science. At the heart of the center is a state-of-the-art planetarium, where cutting-edge technology and flexible seating create immersive experiences in astronomy, planetary systems, and the natural world.

Awards

2025 Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Baltimore Platinum Excellence in Construction Awards (Nichols Contracting acknowledged)

Educational and Institutional Maryland

Morgan State University Public Safety Building

Project: Morgan State University
Public Safety Building
Client: Morgan State University

Looking to the future, Morgan State University, a Maryland premiere HBCU and fast-growing educational institution, is expanding their campus police and security department. As part of expansion, JP2 Architects designed a new 24,500 sq. ft. public safety building to accommodate office and departmental requirements, and provide new support, emergency operations, and detention facilities. The three-story building, located within a retail development southwest of campus, will be a 24/7 emergency facility with dispatch, roll-call, offices and crisis management functions. The building architecture is designed to fit within the context of the adjacent neighborhood while still maintaining elements of the nearby cutting-edge campus buildings.

Educational and Institutional Maryland

Morgan State University Ballfields

Educational and Institutional Maryland

MICA Campus Bookstore

Project: MICA Campus Bookstore
Client: Maryland Institute College of Art

The updated 4,500 sq. ft. MICA campus bookstore was relocated from a different area on the school's campus to be in a more prominent and central location while incorporating a modern design aesthetic to work with existing surroundings. Remodeling for the project includes a sales floor with a rotating art market featuring pieces created by MICA students, faculty, and alumni, as well as local artists unaffiliated with the school. New finishes evoke an industrial feel with a concrete floor product, exposed wood trim, and a cedar soffit on the exterior while larger storefront openings transform the space to increase natural light. Since the bookstore was an existing building, architectural design challenges included modifying large existing trusses and utilizing light and dark paint to direct visual focus to products on the sales floor.

Educational and Institutional Washington DC

John Eaton Elementary

Project: John Eaton Elementary
Client: District of Columbia Public Schools

Eaton Elementary is a Pre-K through grade 5 school in the Cleveland Park area that consists of a group of existing buildings built between 1910 and 1980. The proposed renovations include renovated entrance, and a 34,000 sf expansion along 33rd Place NW. Placing the new expansion along the north edge allows the building to terrace down towards the neighborhood and allows for an outdoor educational space for the relocated library. Also, the architecture speaks with the historic buildings using similar materials and maintains the historic window pattern and rhythm for the classrooms. The new entrance is a welcoming and inviting gathering space during school events and daily activities. The proposed architecture is minimal with a glass enclosure allowing the façade to fade into the background giving the focus to the activities within. The second level cantilevered floor contains proposed art rooms allowing ample natural light, filtered through ivy screen walls into the creative classrooms.

Educational and Institutional Washington DC

DC General Hospital

Project: DC General Hospital
Client: DC Department of General Services

ISTUDIO-JP2 led the A/E team in the design of this multi-phase campus improvement project. Work includes building systems upgrades, selective deconstruction, and campus-wide infrastructure planning. Rehab of the existing Department of Corrections facilities included decoupling the buildings from centralized utilities. The A/E team designed stand-alone HVAC systems and architectural improvements for over 200,000 sf of high security buildings. The architects led the approach to selective deconstruction of over 700,000 sf of buildings and utility infrastructure with AMT civil engineers. The engineers were instrumental in obtaining DOEE and DC Water approvals challenges and execute the project on a fast-track over the course of the spring and summer months of 2018.

Educational and Institutional Educational and Institutional Interiors Washington DC

DC Infrastructure Academy

Project: DC Infrastructure Academy
Client: DC Department of General Services

An unused elementary school was transformed into a healthy learning environment for adult vocational education. Classrooms and office space accommodate DC Infrastructure Academy programs that provide infrastructure jobs counseling and training. The ISTUDIO-JP2 Architects team reconfigured interior spaces and upgraded existing building systems to meet current building standards. Educational interior design elements included partitions with vibrant graphics and industrial materials to create spaces in the Great Hall for security, orientation, and counseling. Classrooms are finished with durable materials and the latest technology for jobs training in utility fields. The team worked closely with the Department of Employment Services on the Phase 1 design, permit, and build on a fast track that met deadlines for the mayor’s initiative.

Educational and Institutional Maryland

Chevy Chase Community Center

Project: Chevy Chase Community Center
Client: DC Department of General Services

The project is the renovation and expansion of the existing Chevy Chase Community Center that is a key component of the urban fabric to the DC area. The existing center is a 3-story, 32,000 sf facility situated along Connecticut Avenue. The proposed design addresses some of the key challenges which include giving the community center a corner street presence, simplifying the circulation, addressing the accessibility challenges, and creating both an indoor and outdoor environment that is inviting and flexible. Resolving these challenges in a sustainable and artful way, allows the facility to promote DPR’s mission to promote wellness, conserve the environment and provide universal access.

Educational and Institutional Washington DC

Ward 8 Temporary Housing

Project: Ward 8 Temporary Housing
Client: DC Department of General Services

The inspiration for this project is rooted in the comfort, healing and lifting up of the human spirit through architecture and interior design. The use of natural light, natural materials and art are integrated into the architectural concept design for the Ward 8 Shelter. As you approach the building by foot or vehicle, we envision a series of inspirational messages that signal a welcome to a place of respite. During this approach, you will get glimpses of the glass stair tower with vertical accents that inspire an upward movement to remind us of the climb required to make the world a better place for all. At the top of the stair tower is a sacred garden for which we strive to attain.

Educational and Institutional Washington DC

14th Street Family + Support Housing

Project: 14th Street Family + Support Housing
Client: DC Department of General Services

The design for the temporary + permanent housing provides 50 families with shared places and outdoor connections for a sustainable and resilient facility. Situated on the east lot line along 14th Street, a new public plaza provides an entrance for the existing Recreation Center directly off the street. Covered by the two housing masses above, the plaza provides visible public space with seating, play area, and possible water feature. The housing units on double-loaded corridors and L shape allows daylight and outside air to all units. Two rooftop gardens and the community room are separated from street activity for privacy, with rooftop city views. Concrete slabs and columns are bookended by concrete end walls with grand exterior stairs and overlooks. The structure lends itself well to a panelized wall system made up of pre-fab panels and glazing. The façade speaks in a similar language to the new apartments and condos to provide a dignified DC housing facility.

Educational and Institutional Maryland