Built in 1887, the Grimke School is an adaptive reuse project in the Greater U Street Historic District of Northwest Washington, DC offering office space, cultural uses, and the new permanent home of the African American Civil War Museum. The development includes the reuse of a historic resource with interventions that are sensitive to its architectural character and the context of the surrounding urban environment. A new four-story addition will be added at the rear, serving the central atrium housing the new elevator core. The project is designed to achieve USGBC LEED Silver level certification. The restoration and repurposing of this historic structure into a healthy and highly sustainable building will attract talented and creative professionals, benefitting the local small business community and the residents of the Shaw neighborhood.

Made possible by a partnership between the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and prominent DC developer Community Three, the repurposing of this important building significantly contributes to increasing the daytime uses of this area of the City.

Torti Gallas designed the transformation of this landmark building and, since the summer of 2021, has called the Grimke School our home as we relocated our corporate headquarters to the District of Columbia after 70 years in Maryland. Torti Gallas is currently pursuing Fitwel Certification for our offices at the Grimke School.