tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post8289858137346881030..comments2024-03-25T18:50:15.135-04:00Comments on DCmud - The Urban Real Estate Digest of Washington DC: 14th Street Project Altered, Moves Forward, After ANC ReviewKenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08295461340042242438noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-59252719241201527642011-12-23T23:30:19.540-05:002011-12-23T23:30:19.540-05:00ANC: everybody wants to be an architect. These peo...ANC: everybody wants to be an architect. These people, with no architectural training, think that adding brick to the facade make the building "fit in". Here we have the opportunity to create a modern little jewel of a building, yet they are forcing architect to create another ordinary building the "fits in"anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15178865904317656260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-27931675143914525062011-11-16T23:38:06.062-05:002011-11-16T23:38:06.062-05:00I attended tonight's meeting and unfortunately...I attended tonight's meeting and unfortunately in this case apparently the design ship sailed a while ago… an uninspiring compromise where nobody really wins.<br /><br />We are in an arts overlay district and that spirit should infuse the built environment, not just what's contained within the structures. This is a missed opportunity to create something cool, special, creative, stunning. <br /><br />Progressive design (including architecture) must be supported by our community or we shouldn't be allowed to keep our moniker DC Arts District.Drew Mitchellhttp://www.fathomcreative.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-36772835333522599462011-11-10T16:23:21.459-05:002011-11-10T16:23:21.459-05:00This started out as a pretty cool project and got ...This started out as a pretty cool project and got watered down. I guess the end result is not bad, but the bays are kinda cheesy -- the sleek front was much better. HPRB needs to wake up and figure our what century it is. . .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-16032856916767937562011-11-10T15:57:38.911-05:002011-11-10T15:57:38.911-05:00why do buildings have to be human?why do buildings have to be human?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-22737699503736438352011-11-10T15:53:22.036-05:002011-11-10T15:53:22.036-05:00Leave it to the neighborhood nazis to take a class...Leave it to the neighborhood nazis to take a classy modern feeling, and completely destroy it with bricks. God how I would hate to be an architect with any sense of aesthetics in this town....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-14830071270873148952011-11-10T15:20:07.669-05:002011-11-10T15:20:07.669-05:00Lol @ Ballston here we come! Indeed, DC new archi...Lol @ Ballston here we come! Indeed, DC new architecture is boring and atrocious. Backward looking community members and a less than visionary HPO/HPRB/OZ/OP have contributed to this corporate looking mediocre street that (sadly) had the potential to be so much more. Tribeca, Greenwich Village, and Meat Packing District have done an excellent job in NYC of mixing historic & modern architecture. Too bad DC is caught in a ugly time warp.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-22596752603950770752011-11-10T13:31:47.242-05:002011-11-10T13:31:47.242-05:00Thanks for sharing all of the iterations. It's...Thanks for sharing all of the iterations. It's nice to see the sausage making, such as it is, here!IMGophhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389077782536090328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-60561533888201906392011-11-10T13:10:56.017-05:002011-11-10T13:10:56.017-05:00Contrary to your blog post, this project has not c...Contrary to your blog post, this project has not cleared all of the community hurdles. As a member of the group of neighbors negotiating with the developer, I can report we still have concerns about the scale of the project as well as some of its design components.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-85868988406274575032011-11-10T12:22:41.846-05:002011-11-10T12:22:41.846-05:00FRUSTERATED Anon above - HPRB has yet to review th...FRUSTERATED Anon above - HPRB has yet to review the project so they are not actually playing god. HPO is not the same as HPRB. HPO staff advise before the HPRB hearing which is a voting body.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-73482731597153252192011-11-10T08:19:23.385-05:002011-11-10T08:19:23.385-05:00THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!
There are PLENTY of buil...THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! <br /><br />There are PLENTY of buildings on this street and the surrounding area that are much taller and much uglier than this piece. <br /><br />HPRB needs to stop playing God. All they do is bully architects into mediocrity. All these architects did to "humanize the design" was add unnecessary junk that the developer won't want to pay for and will probably end looking incredibly silly next to authentic details of surrounding historic structures.<br /><br />The whole city can't and shouldn't be just like georgetown.<br /><br />I live in Dupont, on 17th street, in a 100 year old building that is taller than many modern 8 story buildings - surrounded by rowhouses... I guess HPRB should kick us out and tear the building down so it fits in with the imaginary "rest of the neighborhood".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-18518093166360662011-11-09T21:33:08.734-05:002011-11-09T21:33:08.734-05:00I'm confused...is this the development at 14th...I'm confused...is this the development at 14th and Rhode Island? 14th and R? 14th and S? 14th and T? 14th and.... <br /><br />Whatever....they all look the same... such a shame. Ballston here we come!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-79509453484551829352011-11-09T19:19:40.298-05:002011-11-09T19:19:40.298-05:00What makes a real city?
The original building des...What makes a real city?<br /><br />The original building design was atrocious. The newest design still needs some work with respect to its massing, etc.<br /><br />It's ok to have forward-looking architecture that's humanly-scaled and respectful of its surroundings. It's not ok for architecture to give its neighbors the middle finger and take over the entire block in a hulking mass like in the original design.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-9259204111328554292011-11-09T17:33:41.676-05:002011-11-09T17:33:41.676-05:00Pass me another Ambien, DC, and wake me when you d...Pass me another Ambien, DC, and wake me when you decide you want to be a real city...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-80189965382165901682011-11-09T12:20:00.686-05:002011-11-09T12:20:00.686-05:00If you think Logan Circle is defined by it's m...If you think Logan Circle is defined by it's most run down aspects, then you aren't looking at what ever attracted this developer to the neighborhood. Forward looking would be to not repeat the mistake of the last 50 years and do a modernist monstricity that gives the middle finger to it's surroundings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-77581715349900716902011-11-09T10:44:44.889-05:002011-11-09T10:44:44.889-05:00Further, if we are only encouraging architecture t...Further, if we are only encouraging architecture that "fits in" with its 14th Street surroundings, we'd have a lot of new run down, two-story liquor stores with bars on their windows. Architecture should be forward-looking--it shouldn't be hamstrung by the blight that's defined Logan/Shaw for the past several decades.DAPPER VANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17426475927282678495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-1702232085190743562011-11-09T06:53:46.911-05:002011-11-09T06:53:46.911-05:00I don't see how reducing it would make it fit ...I don't see how reducing it would make it fit in with the 'scale' of the block anyways. From the rendering, there are least two other buildings on that block which are taller than the current design alreadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-48038468504534462512011-11-09T06:42:15.963-05:002011-11-09T06:42:15.963-05:00There are several ways the bulk of this building c...There are several ways the bulk of this building could be reduced through cornices, and details. Unfortunatley, the architect is playing heroic modernist and seems now stuck in these half hearted efforts to humanize this building. The architects Torti Gallas are great at doing traditional designs, they can definatley do better than this, if pushed to do the right thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-49568534806690741252011-11-08T19:49:30.933-05:002011-11-08T19:49:30.933-05:00Contrary to your blog post, this project has not c...Contrary to your blog post, this project has not cleared all of the community hurdles. As a member of the group of neighbors negotiating with the developer, I can report we still have concerns about the scale of the project as well as some of its design components. We have urged the developer to further reduce the project by one floor, increase the available parking and reduce the size of the roof deck. <br /><br /><br />We are hopeful the developer will address our concerns when they next appear before the ANC, if not before. But if we are unable to reach an agreement, we are prepared to oppose the project at all levels of review.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-17911766280021511912011-11-08T17:37:24.883-05:002011-11-08T17:37:24.883-05:00There was nothing creative about the old design. ...There was nothing creative about the old design. It was dehumanizing and would have hulked over the entire block. The original design bumped out over the street with what appears to be an ugly overhang.<br /><br />Urban architecture should fit in with its surroundings. While the new design might not be bold, it does fit in (which is fine with me). The HPRB, in this case, did a good thing for the neighborhood by inspiring the architectural team to redesign it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-64004477104063933242011-11-08T16:47:50.085-05:002011-11-08T16:47:50.085-05:00The original design was bold and in keeping with t...The original design was bold and in keeping with the arts-focus of this district. The new one is junk, and will "fit in" nicely with the rest of the red-brick-with-glass-window-bay condo crap that are popping up like suburban McMansions on the rest of 14th Street. Will DC ever be able to have interesting architecture, or will our NIMBY-ism get in the way of every single (remotely) creative design?DAPPER VANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17426475927282678495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-57838647432269671772011-11-08T13:03:07.555-05:002011-11-08T13:03:07.555-05:00We have only so much developable land in DC, parti...We have only so much developable land in DC, particularly with the height restriction. To reduce the amount of housing on a critical and rapidly-developing artery is idiotic to say the least.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08114137520609530513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-4134330966422363242011-11-08T08:56:35.859-05:002011-11-08T08:56:35.859-05:00Looks like HPRB is earning their keep by humanizin...Looks like HPRB is earning their keep by humanizing what was an incredibly cold design. A much improved design, but how about throwing a cornice on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22305958.post-27638399056396349842011-11-08T07:09:15.967-05:002011-11-08T07:09:15.967-05:00terra cotta > masonry. sigh.terra cotta > masonry. sigh.Jimnoreply@blogger.com