GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL
Founded in 1945 by seven courageous families in Washington, DC, Georgetown Day School holds a singular place in American educational history. At a time when the nation's capital was deeply segregated, GDS opened its doors as the first racially integrated school in Washington, DC — a bold act of conscience that predated the Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling by nearly a decade.
Led by its first Head of School, anthropologist Philleo Nash, and co-founded by a group of activist parents who believed that children of all races and backgrounds deserved to learn side by side, GDS was built on a foundation of progressive values, intellectual curiosity, and community. Over the past 80 years, the school has grown from a small gathering of families into one of the most respected PreK–12 independent schools in the country, now located at its modern campus at 4200 Davenport Street NW in the Tenleytown neighborhood.
Today, GDS serves hundreds of students across its Lower, Middle, and Upper School divisions, and continues to be recognized nationally for its commitment to equity, academic excellence, and civic engagement. It was an honor — and a responsibility — to work within the walls of an institution with this kind of legacy.
"GDS was founded in 1945 by seven families who wanted a new type of school — not only for their children, but also for their country and for their city."
— Georgetown Day School, 80th Anniversary
Georgetown Day School Campus — 4748 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC
OFFICES TO CLASSROOMS — A SUMMER TRANSFORMATION
Georgetown Day School came to E&E Contracting with a clear mission: the school needed more space for its growing student body. A section of administrative offices was to be completely reimagined and converted into four fully functional classrooms — expanding capacity and creating dedicated learning environments that would serve kids for years to come.
The challenge was real. The school year was ending, and the work had to be done entirely during the summer break — not a single day of school could be disrupted. That meant a tight three-month window, working overnight shifts from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM, coordinating multiple trades in a live school building, and delivering four finished classrooms ready for students on the first day back.
We accepted that challenge without hesitation. Our crew — along with a team of skilled subcontractors we brought in and built relationships with — showed up every night and worked through the dark hours to make it happen. Framers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, drywall crews, carpet installers — all coordinating in tight spaces, respecting the school's property, and pushing toward one shared goal.
Three months later, we handed over four beautiful, code-compliant, fully equipped classrooms — on time, on budget, and ready for kids.
AD003 — Demolition Wall & Framing Plan
ACG Architects · 4200 Davenport St NW · 04/30/25
PROJECT PLANS & SITE PHOTOS
Annotated job site photos and architectural drawings from the Georgetown Day School classroom conversion — showing the planning, demolition scope, locker relocation, and final floor plan.
Plan 1
Plan 2
Plan 3
Plan 4
Plan 5
Plan 6
Plan 7
Plan 8
Plan 9
Plan 10
Plan 11
Plan 12
Plan 13
Plan 14
Plan 15
11 TRADES. ONE TEAM.
This project required coordinating nearly a dozen skilled trades under one roof — all working overnight, all moving toward the same deadline.
Demolition
Full interior demo of existing office walls, ceilings, and finishes to open the floor plate for four new classrooms.
Steel Framing
Structural steel stud framing erected to define the new classroom layouts, meeting DC building code for educational occupancy.
Drywall
Commercial-grade drywall installation with fire-rated assemblies between classrooms for sound attenuation and code compliance.
Electrical
Full electrical rough-in and finish for classroom lighting, outlets, smart board circuits, and emergency egress lighting.
Ceiling Tile & Grid
Suspended acoustical ceiling grid and tile installation throughout all four classrooms for optimal acoustics and clean aesthetics.
Carpet
Commercial carpet installation in all classroom spaces — durable, low-VOC, and appropriate for high-traffic school environments.
SEE THE WORK
35 photos and 17 videos from the Georgetown Day School project — from demolition through final walkthrough.
Commercial job site — exterior overview
Framing and structural prep
Interior demo in progress
Wall framing detail
Steel stud layout
Framing progress
Ceiling grid rough-in
Electrical rough-in
Drywall installation
Drywall finishing
Taping and mudding
Ceiling tile installation
Carpet installation
Door installation
Finish carpentry
Interior painting
Classroom taking shape
Lighting fixtures installed
Final trim work
Classroom walkthrough
Completed classroom
Hallway renovation
Locker relocation complete
Exterior renovation detail
Roofing work on commercial property
Roof installation progress
Completed roof section
Commercial exterior — siding
Siding installation detail
Renovation progress
Final exterior work
Completed commercial project
Project completion
Final walkthrough
Finished project
SEE THE FINAL RESULT
Four brand-new classrooms at Georgetown Day School — fully built out, painted, carpeted, and ready for students. Watch the complete finished product walkthrough.
Georgetown Day School — Full Walkthrough
THE FINISHED CLASSROOMS
"Roofing will always have a special place in my heart. It's where E&E was built — shingle by shingle, job by job, relationship by relationship. But working on the Georgetown Day School project was something I'll never forget. It was a real treat to expand into something new — to walk into a building every night and watch it transform, room by room, from empty offices into spaces where kids would one day learn and grow.
Working overnight for three months, I got to know some of the most talented tradespeople I've ever met. Carpenters who could build anything. Electricians who worked with precision and pride. Framers who moved like they'd been doing it since birth. Plumbers who solved problems on the fly. Every one of them taught me something. And together, we delivered something that a school — a school with 80 years of history — could be proud of.
That's what this work is about. Not just the roof over your head, but everything that makes a building a place where people live, learn, and thrive. E&E is ready for more of it."
