Completed under Paola Moya’s leadership as CEO of Marshall Moya Design
Payne Elementary School
Located in the southeastern region of the nation’s capital on C Street, Payne Elementary School has served the local community and students in pre-school through 5th grade in Ward 6 for over a century. Built in 1896, the original 83,800 sq. ft. building lost roughly 15,000 sq. ft. after a fire. Despite that setback, it still shines as the district’s flagship school for deaf, hearing impaired and special needs children.
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The firm consolidated a design that repurposed spaces within the existing structure, incorporated curriculum-centered graphics, and provided the programmatic support for special needs learning. Interactive pictures complement the school curriculum and encourage learning outside the classroom in the hallways and shared areas throughout the school. In support of the school’s mission, the firm constructed the school’s blueprints with ADA upgrades to include: hearing impaired accommodations, American Sign Language necessities, and appropriate classroom sizes equipped with electromagnetic communication detection systems that connect to hearing aids. Further, by incorporating various sustainable technologies and green initiatives, the facility was able to achieve LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.