On November 10, 2023, the Red House celebrated the opening of the Baker Family Terrace. The Terrace is named for the family of Jon (C ’64) and Patricia Baker and honoring their longstanding partnership with Georgetown University and, especially, the Red House through the Baker Trust for Transformative Learning. Their generous partnership is a key driver in advancing an ecosystem of innovation at the university, providing funding for more than 30 cross-campus initiatives funded by the Baker Trust since its launch in 2019. The Baker Family Terrace, situated next to the Red House at 1237 37th St NW, is an extension of the work and values the Baker Trust has supported. 

A Shared Space for our Community

On Friday, November 10, 2023, the Baker family joined President DeGioia, Provost Groves, and the Red House community—including more than 50 Georgetown faculty and staff partners, whose work has been supported by the Baker Trust—for a dedication ceremony honoring their contributions to educational transformation at Georgetown University. The opening of the terrace was marked by an unveiling of twelve art displays featured in the terrace gallery.

Event speakers included Jon Baker, Red House Director Randall Bass, and President John DeGioia. President DeGioia’s remarks came nearly ten years to the day that he first launched the Designing the Future(s) Initiative on November 13, 2013. The terrace was blessed by Fr. Mark Bosco S.J., Ph.D., Vice President for Mission and Ministry. Following the dedication ceremony, Jon and Patricia Baker were recognized with the Presidential Medal by John DeGioia.

The design work for the renovation project began in late fall 2022. Informed by the values of the Baker Trust, the space was envisioned as an intersection of accessibility, being and belonging, creativity, sustainability, and a future(s) orientation. This set of values and practices shapes the design of the plantings, art displays, and features, as well as the community gatherings we envision in the space.

The art displays located throughout the space will feature a rotation of artwork and project designs from students and community members on the future of education and our world. The content included in the displays reflects our learning processes and practices through a variety of perspectives. For the Terrace dedication, the art displays featured campus programs and innovations funded by the Baker Trust for Transformative Learning.

In the coming months, the Red House looks forward to welcoming groups and organizations to the Baker Family Terrace for gatherings centered around accessibility, sustainability, creativity, belonging, and future(s)-oriented design.