Design firm Ellerbe Becket paid particular attention to preserving the historic character of Roosevelt Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. The majority of renovation occurred on the building’s interior, reorganizing building space and modernizing building systems.
“We took great care to serve and respect the architectural and historical qualities of Roosevelt Hall to extend the life of an important landmark,” said Ellerbe Becket project architect Al Winchester. The National Capital Planning Commission, Commission of Fine Arts, District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation reviewed the project.
The existing building structure was reorganized and reconfigured to accommodate approximately 49,000 sq.ft. (4,552 m2) of functional area requirements and more effectively serve the needs of the War College. Winchester said he and his colleagues sometimes had to recommend removal of items considered historic in the name of improving the building. “We removed some historic iron stacks (bookcases) because people with disabilities could not access them,” he said.
Other challenges, from fire protection to mechanical systems and insertion of new floors, were dealt with creatively. A new roof ventilator matching the original is a noticeable improvement.
Another noticeable change is the renovation of Arnold Auditorium, located within Roosevelt. Seating capacity was increased to 275 and improvements in mechanical systems, lighting and audiovisual equipment brought the auditorium up to current teaching standards.
Suzanne Ganschinietz, the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Officer, was struck by the high degree of expertise and cooperation between the review agencies, the Military District of Washington, and architects and consultants. “It was a pleasure to review a project where the Secretary of the Interior’s standards and good preservation guidelines prevailed,” she said. “We were frequently called to the job site to note new discoveries found under the basement floors or plasterwork, and to participate in the decision process as to how these should be treated. Throughout the process, the team balanced the program needs of the client with a determination to save as much of the original fabric as possible.”
The building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 and simultaneously was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally designed by the New York firm McKim, Mead & White between 1903 and 1907, the red-brick Neoclassical structure was based upon a Beaux Arts plan oriented on a cross-axis formed by the intersection of a domed central pavilion and lateral wings.
The War College was the brainchild of President Roosevelt and Secretary of War Elihu Root. Root sought to reform and reinvigorate the U.S. Army after the Spanish-American War, in line with this country’s new position as a world power and in response to the modernization of warfare. A war college based on European prototypes was central to Root’s plan. Root and Roosevelt’s vision became reality in 1907 when the Army War College at Washington Barracks (now Roosevelt Hall) opened for the purpose of training officers for high-level command positions. Today the system of officer education has been broadened to include all branches of the military, and the schools have been reorganized into the National Defense University.
The Roosevelt renovation is the last of a three-phase program started over a decade ago to upgrade the physical facilities of the National Defense University. Phase One involved design and construction of a new library and academic headquarters. Phase Two involved renovation of Eisenhower Hall, home to the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Ellerbe Becket provided planning, programming, architecture, interior design, and structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services.
Other Ellerbe Becket historic renovations include the Notre Dame Main Administration Building, the Yale University Payne Whitney Gymnasium and the Claremont Resort and Spa in Berkeley, Calif.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a global leader in design, engineering, planning, interiors and the construction industry, with offices worldwide.
