Hord Coplan Macht was tasked with designing and re-envisioning Benjamin Banneker High School’s 5,500 sf library/media center. The primary goal was to transform it into a 21st Century collaborative learning space, similar to what students might experience at a college or university. Benjamin Banneker, the school’s namesake, was a largely self-educated mathematician, astronomer, surveyor and almanac author. His work inspired the graphics program and interior finishes throughout the learning center. Glass graphics of topographical maps and geographic coordinates harken back to Banneker’s involvement in surveying the original borders of the District of Columbia. His knowledge of astronomy provided the inspiration for the super-graphic panels used to identify the various learning spaces.