Redeveloping Marie Reed Community Learning Center: A Study in Community-Based Design

Abstract

The recent redevelopment of the Adams-Morgan neighborhood, in Washington, D.C. is astounding.

The district has gone from an underground arts center, to an immigrant quarter to a wealthy,

desirable urban area in about 30 years. The Marie Reed Community Learning Center anchors the

south end of the district. The building is more than a school: it also houses a community pool and

recreation center, and a low-cost health clinic.

In this thesis, I will explore the idea of true community design and development by using the skills

and knowledge I have acquired in my studies to assist the Adams Morgan residents generate

proposals for redevelopment of this site. Thus, this thesis will be as much about the process as it

is about the product. I will borrow and adapt the methodology of Walter Hood, Maurice Cox, and

others - implementing design by observation and with the assistance of the community.