The Art of Arts and Crafts

By Beth Herman

Navigating D.C.’s perilous permitting process, razing a house in Washington is not for the faint of heart. The rocky road to tear down and the equally arduous avenue to build anew are clearly "long and convoluted," said Chris Landis of Landis Construction.

For Landis and project manager Andrew Kerr, razing a 1930s group home on a Palisades neighborhood site was an easy decision based on a leaky foundation, extensive termite damage, floors that were not level, a basement that wasn’t deep enough and a series of random renovations over time. “There were a thousand reasons why we could not save it,”Landis said, adding the decaying house was painstakingly deconstructed for as much green value as possible.

For a consulting environmental scientist client with a Mt. Pleasant Colonial townhouse, starting over on a now pristine lot in the Palisades meant the opportunity to replicate what he coveted most about the interior of his former residence, and integrating it into a gleaming Arts and Crafts style bungalow. Initially conceived at 2,400 s.f. by the homeowner himself, who was clear and specific about what he wanted, Landis said further development of the residential design produced a 4,500 s.f. space that included a below grade in-law suite. A long time domestic employee who currently assists the homeowner, and had also cared for his wife before her recent passing, would occupy the basement space which consisted of a bedroom, bath, kitchenette, family room and laundry area. Hardwood floors and ample window wells made for a warm and sun-filled environment.

Aging in style

With an eye to universal design, or aging in place, the two-story home was designed to facilitate living entirely on the first floor. “Very rarely do you find a master suite on the first floor of a house in D.C.,” Landis said, noting that even a powder room on the first level of a row house is unique. In the Palisades bungalow, a master suite, master bath with no threshold shower and study were all key first floor components, along with the kitchen, foyer, living and dining rooms, powder room and laundry closet. Two guest bedrooms and a bathroom occupy the second floor.

In an effort to replicate the Mt. Pleasant interior and also bring in elements of the client’s beach house, which was more in the Craftsman style, Landis project architectural designer Armin Bondoc embellished existing furnishings with colorful cushions and batik throws, wall hangings and artwork from the well-traveled client’s Middle East, Indonesian and Asian collections. His wife had been an avid collector and connoisseur. He also introduced custom millwork for warmth and character. In the living room, trim, columns, crown moldings and the fireplace surround were realized in darker stained cherry, with a wider 5-inch plank rift-cut oak flooring. The fireplace is an organic-looking rough-cut onyx tile mosaic about which, Bondoc said, the homeowner had some concerns but embraced wholeheartedly upon its completion.

The study floor is also cherry, with radiant heat, and a custom cherry built-in desk and flyover shelves add comfort in a rich, soothing hue. Cabinets, bookcases and shelving are finished in a casual distressed cream glaze.

Desiring a smaller kitchen, limestone-colored Silestone countertops brighten and open the space, and a pantry compensates for minimal cabinetry. A side laundry closet precludes the homeowner having to trek down to the basement, and radiant heat rises from ceramic tile flooring.

The master bedroom was kept clean and spare, per the homeowner’s dictum, with an earthy, elegant master bath boasting three different sizes of slate tile flooring and mixture of patterns. The floor is framed in ceramic tiles redolent of warm wood for added effect, and cherry cabinetry and wainscoting in the bath complete the space. To court natural light, frosted clerestory windows open the master bath to the outdoors while ensuring plenty of privacy.

To help illuminate the long foyer—which Bondoc said tends to be dark—without the use of excessive lighting, interior clerestory windows along the wall between it and the dining room direct light through whenever possible. On the exterior, flourishes such as tongue and groove IPE decking and artisan siding by James Hardie, along with hand cut rafter ends and brackets, help define and distinguish the Arts and Crafts style residence.

Ph.D. in sustainability

As an environmental scientist formerly with the IMF, and currently consulting for the Asian Development Bank on a China project, energy efficiency and sustainability were paramount for the erudite and savvy homeowner. Manifested in such elements as an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) to bring in fresh air (often precluding the need for air conditioning), a multi-zone super high efficiency HVAC system and icynene foam insulation for a tight seal were utilized. Two-by-6 construction was also employed to locate studs further apart. A rain screen, which leaves a gap between the siding and actual skin of the frame, helps insulate as well as facilitates evaporation, and a series of rain gardens and native plantings by Landis Garden Design’s Tomi Landis takes the home’s green dimension to its ultimate destination.

Rooflines are lower than those of the surrounding neighborhood as the homeowner didn’t want an imposing home, and the structure is oriented toward the rear of the lot instead of up—not for zoning purposes but with a nod to massing and the bungalow aesthetic.

“It was really nice to work with him on the design because he knew what he wanted,” Bondoc said of the homeowner. “It’s a very comfortable home.”

photos courtesy of Sam Kittner

Washington DC real estate development news

Palisades Development, Under New Ownership, Digs in

Construction began only a handful of days ago on Canal Parc, a 34-unit townhouse development to take the place of the now-demolished Riverside Psychiatric Hospital at 4460 MacArthur Blvd, NW. The for-sale units are on track to occupy prime clifftop real estate overlooking the Potomac River in the Palisades, now that Duball has purchased the project and brought in a new architect. The property was purchased in early 2006 by New York-based The Athena Group, who brought on DC-based Willco Residential LLC as lead developer of a 41-unit PUD project in July of 2007. A raze permit was sought in August of 2008 to level the controversial private, for-profit Riverside, which ran into trouble in 2007. 

 In 2008, the DC Office of Planning was in favor of the density-decreased, 37-unit LEED Neighborhood Development (ND)-certified version of the project, however the skimmed-down version was still an ire to the Palisades Citizens' Association (PCA). The plan was cut to 34 units in 2009. The DC Office of Zoning approved the Willco Residential-run, and Lessard Group-designed PUD project in March of 2010, after a significant lapse of time from final plan presentation in late 2009. Due to the delay, rumors circulated about the solvency of project developers, which turned out to be half truths - there was financial trouble, but not on Willco's end, instead The Athena Group is currently liquidating many of its properties across the country. Gary Cohen, president and founder of Willco, says the property was put up for sale by Athena in 2010, and a triple-joint-venture led by Duball LLC "blew away the competition," purchasing the land for $12 million early this year. 

 Getting right to work, the trio of Duball, Buvermo Properties and Stanley Martin Companies LLC, dubbed "Duball MacArthur LLC" completed initial site work this past spring, after the hospital was razed in February. Site grading, backfill and compaction is currently underway with Duball in charge of project management, and Stanley Martin in control of tangible construction. Although the original Lessard Group design still holds, Pinnacle Design completed construction documents for the current venture, and is considered to be the architect currently on the project. Marc Dubick, president and founder of Duball, says that the 34-unit project will deliver the first townhouse to the market by the end of the year. A 2008 estimate for the sale of the townhouses was between $1.3 and $1.7 million; updated prices have not been released. Foreseeing that construction will roll along at a two-townhouse-per-month pace, Dubick predicts that the project will be complete in 17 months. The 2.7 acre property will contain over 100,000 g.s.f., and townhouse units will range from 2200 sf to over 3500 sf. Dubick says the variation in unit designs results in "two different products within the same community." Although there are two prototypes, Dubick adds that all units will be "state of the art, luxury" townhouses. Other ongoings for Duball include its transit-oriented, Safeway-anchored multifamily development at 3830 Georgia Avenue NW, which will begin construction in mid-to-late 2012, says Dubick. The project is currently undergoing the entitlement process. Update: An earlier version of this article incorrectly estimated the percentage of built area on site.

Washington D.C. Real Estate development news

Green Light for Canal Parc

Today, the Zoning Commission issued its final order approving plans for Canal Parc, 34 new single-family townhouses that will take the place of the aging Riverside Hospital. The decision should serve to dispel recent rumors circulating around the Palisades neighborhood and the Local ANC3D Chapter that the residential development was flat-lining. Developed through the LEED Neighborhood Development program to replace the hospital at 4460 MacArthur Boulevard, the homes are being built by Willco Residential, LLC and New York-based The Athena Group.

In September of 2009, Washington DC's Office of Zoning (DCOZ) drafted its final approval for the Lessard Group-designed development. But six months have passed and the final order had not been released. "It's not supposed to take this long," Willco Residential President, Gary S. Cohen lamented earlier this week. "Usually after the Zoning Commission approves [a PUD], it only takes a few months" for a project to garner its final official approval. The delays have left community members scratching their heads.

ANC3D Chair Betsy Sandza says she has "heard rumors that the developer has cooled off." Canal Parc "has fallen off the face of the map," says Palisades Citizens' Association President Spence Spencer, who speculates based on conversations he had with Cohen that money for construction may have dried up and that Willco and development partner, Athena, may have parted ways.

But according to Cohen, rumors about financing and a developer split are "absolutely false." Cohen told DCMud, "Bottom line: every thing is in the District's hands, "adding that he and Athena are still partners on Canal Parc and that the "project is still moving forward as planned."

So even if the project hasn't changed development hands, the Palisades community would like to know: What was the hold up?

Though Cohen had a draft approval, he could not apply for permits until the DCOZ issued a final order. And before that could happen, the Office of the Attorney General reviewed the draft order, provided by the developers, to make sure the legal language expressed the decisions of the DCOZ. The AG looks for inconsistencies, vague language and loopholes to ensure the developers' promised park benches and scholarship funds are included in the final order.



Prior to today's official green light, Cohen admitted that the project has been a sensitive issue within the community, but he said he was hopeful that the DCOZ was just working to "make sure all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed." Consider them dotted and crossed.

As ANC3D Chair Betsy Sandza tells it, "density and height were our two biggest concerns" within the neighborhood surrounding the development. In light of these concerns, Willco and Athena changed their design to reduce the number of brick townhouse units from 41 to 34.

But in August of 2009, Sandza combined forces with Spencer and submitted a letter to the Zoning Commission, arguing that the reduction of units was not enough to bring Athena and Willco in line with the designated Floor Area Ratio (FAR) (i.e. density) on their lot. In the letter, Sandza and Spencer further charged Athena and Willco with miscalculating the FAR for the project so that it appeared to be within the limits allowed by law, arguing that "the Zoning Commission should approve this project only with the condition that the applicant eliminate at least 7,220 square feet of gross floor area...to bring the FAR into appropriate scale."

The good news for Cohen could be overshadowed by an appeal concerning the FAR. Cornish Hitchcock, an attorney representing two families on the SE corner of the project, expected today's approval, but could make things difficult for Cohen. An appeal would delay Cohen's ability to apply for permits and start construction.

For now, though, Canal Parc has momentum behind it and, according to Cohen, he will forge ahead.

Washington DC Real Estate and Development News

Lots of Cleared Lots for Sale in the Palisades

Encore Development and their engineers at Dewberry and Davis are wrapping up razing and land development work at 4800 U Street, NW, making way for eight, freshly-cleared lots that range in size from 6,000 to 12,500 s.f.  Located just a block from MacArthur Boulevard, the parcels, dubbed Berkley-Chase, are now "up for sale to either individuals or home builders," according to Encore principal, Steve Kay and will sell for $925,000-$995,000 each. The Berkley-Chase development makes up approximately half of the 3.2 acre parcel Encore originally purchased back in 2007. Encore sold the other half of the property to the St. Patrick's School before razing the late 1940s home on the property, commencing sewer work, and putting in a series of retaining walls between the lots for sale and the adjoining St. Patrick's School property. Kay says his company has quietly begun putting the lots on sale and is "working on a couple potential deals now." To date, none of the lots have been sold, but more prominent listings with Washington Fine Properties should be popping up in the coming weeks. 

Washington DC real estate and development news

Ten Years On, GW Puts Finishing Touches on Palisades Campus

When George Washington University (GW) acquired the Mount Vernon College for Women in Northwest’s Palisades neighborhood in 1999, they had planned for an extensive build-out of the 134-year-old former seminary that would include 320,000 square feet of new academic and dormitory buildings.

A decade later, GW's satellite campus is co-ed for the first time in its history, but has achieved less than half of the approved additions once intended for the 26-acre campus. Now, with the tenth anniversary of Mount Vernon's incorporation into the University approaching, GW officials have teamed with EE & K Architects to realize the remaining 167,000 square feet of new development for the college at Foxhall Road and Whitehaven Parkway, NW.


The development team – which also includes EDAW, AECOM and VIKA Capitol, LLC – has been holding monthly community meetings to outline their plans for a 2010 Mount Vernon Campus Plan. At present, there are three differently oriented project plans on the table - all of which, however, would achieve the same result: four new academic buildings, ranging from 25,000 to 45,000 square feet; a new 50,000 square foot, 100-bed residential complex; and, lastly, a new three-story gym/sports and recreation center. According to University reps, the idea is to concentrate the new development towards the center of the campus, thereby giving it the bucolic college green feel so rarely afforded to urban universities, and behind Mount Vernon’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it front gate on Whitehaven Parkway.

In order to make way for this slew of new building projects, some of the institution’s 70s-era academic and residential will be razed, in order to free up campus space. Mount Vernon’s Cole Residence Hall, Gatehouse Building, the Webb and Acheson academic buildings, along with a portion of the Ames academic building, are slated for demolition once a final plan is put together.
Upcoming meetings will adhere to a strict outline of community concerns regarding the project. On July 9th, the development team will present their findings on noise, lighting and population counts, to be followed on August 13th by a presentation on landscaping, storm water management and the green building techniques to be employed in the new facilities. The final scheduled meeting is to be held on September 10th, whereupon a final development scheme will be presented to locals and students alike. All meetings are held at 7:30 pm in the Mount Vernon Campus’ Webb Building.

Washington DC real estate development news