High Anxiety - Dispelled by Design

By Beth Herman

Hustled by panicked family members into Washington Hospital Center’s teeming ER One, a woman complaining of intense stomach pains is triaged and soon takes a seat. It's 5 a.m. and the programmable color kinetic lighting all around her is redolent of the subtle hues of early morning, while a skylight (rediscovered during renovation) channels mild, natural light as the sun rises. Nearby, two large tropical fish tanks sparkle, and a flat screen TV with soft programming also flashes an informational display with the first four letters of the patient’s last name, and a first initial, to let her know exactly where she is in the queue. A partial wall of translucent Corian, carved into the organic shapes of grasses, reeds and willows, is backlit withmuted, evolving LED lighting to represent a restorative environment.

With wait times in metropolitan emergency rooms averaging seven to eight hours, patients’ stress and anxiety levels are exacerbated by a lack of "positive distractions." Accordingly, 21st century health care facilities have evolved to incorporate soothing elements of nature (organic design) and substantiated methods of stress reduction, manifested in design, the results of which have been called “a bridge between neuroscience and design.”

For Huelat Parimucha Ltd. Healing Design Principal Barbara Huelat, studying the emotional needs of emergency room patients and their families was all in a day’s work, so to speak, when the firm was commissioned to augment and expand the early design they’d done on Washington Hospital Center’s ER One in 2007. Employing intricate research studies, and with elements like “evidence” and “proof” no longer just linchpins of the legal system, these factors are now the domain of architects and designers whose health care clients require tangible data in making their case to vigilant boards of directors and budget arbiters. Clients are now demanding more proof that (a design choice) works,” said Huelat. “There is a direction in the industry today called ‘evidence-based design,’ which is about wanting proof that what you’re doing makes a difference.” To that end, Huelat cited decisions in the past based on best practice models with which architects and designers have worked for years, though they lacked measurable results in the form of documented data.

Embarking on a series of studies through the Pebble Project, the California-based Center for Health Design’s (which promotes improving patient outcomes in healthcare) main research initiative, MedStar Health, owner of Washington Hospital Center, sought initially to implement emergency room infection protection and bacteria mitigation throughdesign and use of materials, and also to expedite work flow processes between site nurse’s stations. In its latest study, the implementation of “positive distractions,” or design elements that serve to mitigate and redirect stress and anxiety both patients and their families may experience during interminable wait times in busy emergency centers, was the goal. But to get there, MedStar and Huelat Parimucha had to first determine what behaviors and coping mechanisms people used to navigate the ER experience.

Panacea for pacing

“The predesign emergency room was pretty awful,” Huelat said of the hospital’s inadequate 1980s space, noting there were only two ill-placed (you had to almost hunt for them), never-lit fish tanks and a television for diversion, usually tuned to inappropriate “LAPD-type” progr

ams with violence. “One of the largest ‘activities’ was hanging out at the desk,” Huelat noted, where patients would spend a lot of time trying to determine when they would be seen, or where a family member was. Among the other two most popular activities were sleeping and pacing, because there wasn’t much else todo.

Based on the “prospect - refuge” habitat theory, which states that the ability to see but not necessarily be seen is intrinsic to many of man’s survival needs and affects his comfort levels, zoned seating was created to accommodate patients.

“There were times out on the Savannah when we wanted to observe what was out there, but we wanted a sheltered area so we wouldn’t feel vulnerable,” Huelat explained. To that end, seating choices included three distinct areas: the first, being most visible to the staff (Huelat said in follow-up studies for ER One, this area has been selected the most); the second, behind a partial wall and labeled the “social interaction zone” where patients could see the TV but not feel they were in the direct view of staff; and the third zone, most isolated of the three, totally behind a wall. “This zone had the greatest view out of the windows,” Huelat said, “and was the last to fill up. If people chose to sleep, they always slept here where they felt more secluded.” Other interventions include improved acoustics and interactive video. Projected on a wall, and similarly seen in airports and shopping centers, human interaction with it (waving of hands, for instance) can scatter fish in water or balloons in the air, creating an engaging diversion, especially for children who comprise a considerable portion of emergency room populations.

A model for mental health

Based on data acquired from the Pebble Project from three perspectives: neuroscience, design, and facilities operation, MedStar’s Ella Franklin, R.N., managing director of the Center for Building Sciences at the MedStar Institute for Innovation (MI2), determined just how ER One would integrate the findings into its space. According to Franklin, for years the knowledge base for how the built environment impacts patients and caregivers was deficient.

“We were very excited to learn of the Center for Health Design and that it was starting try and aggregate knowledge into data bases – collecting stories and experiences of different hospitals and clinics,” Franklin said of MedStar’s decision to utilize the Pebble Project beginning in 2006. In fact MedStar’s own MI2 serves as a consultancy to other health systems, so that collected data is readily shared.

Among the changes gauged at ER One after December, 2010, following implementation of the positive distractions redesign, were an 80 percent reduction in pacing, patient satisfaction with perceived wait times (the information display on the TV screen factoring in), and “remarkably improved” patient performance once they left the waiting room and presented to physicians, according to Huelat.

Citing reduced mental health benefits in the District even since December, Franklin said ER One is seeing more and more patients with psychiatric needs. As such, two rooms are currently undergoing yet another redesign to achieve the right environment to care for these individuals.

“The times that we’re living in, in terms of healthcare reform and changes in delivery model…makes for an ever-changing model of what our patients need and what regulatory agencies require of us,” Franklin said, indicating ER One’s redesign is a long term, evolving challenge.

Washington DC commercial design

Union Station North, New Zone to Accommodate Billion-Dollar Burnham Place Project

After 18 months of efforts by the DC Office of Planning (OP) to establish appropriate specifics, the DC Zoning Commission (ZC) approved OP's creation of a new zone - Union Station North (USN) - which will supersede an area zoned for industrial and light manufacturing use in the City's Comprehensive Plan. The USN Zone was created to allow developer Akridge's mixed-use planned development project, Burnham Place, designed by DC-based architect Shalom Baranes Associates, to be built above the Amtrak rail yard located immediately north of Union Station. Burnham Place, estimated early on to cost $1 billion, has been in the works since Akridge bought the air rights above the railyard from the General Services Administration (GSA) for $10 million in November of 2006, a notable transaction due to price and precedent - the deal became the first transfer of air rights from the federal government to a private buyer. The 14-acre, air-rights property will be developed into 3 million s.f. of commercial, retail, residential and hotel space. The new USN Zone District will allow Akridge to build up 90 to 130 feet above the H Street Bridge, as the bridge is technically the ground floor of the property. 

According to Lisa Steen, Vice President of Marketing at Akridge, building heights will be gradual, starting 300' away from Union Station at 90', then rising to 110' and finally 130'. In this way, "The view of Union Station will not be compromised," says Steen, adding, "and the view from the buildings could be fabulous." The ZC Order was approved unanimously in April, and has allowed Akridge to move forward with design specifics, now that allotted heights for residential towers has been established. The decision to create a new zone also ensures that the ZC will have the authority to review and approve any development at the site. Furthermore, the Order allows Akridge to create a unique, and dense, transit-oriented development that utilizes project neighbors - Amtrak, below, and transit hub Union Station, to the south. Amtrak is currently developing a Master Plan - expected to be complete in early 2012 - to double or even triple its capacity at Union Station, and if a intercity high-speed rail is created, Steen speculates the possibility of commuting by rail to New York from Union Station as quickly as commuting by car to Fredricksburg. Building above a railyard poses challenges that Akridge will overcome by building 20-foot-high support columns, strategically placed throughout the rail yard, which will support a concrete platform to serve as site foundation. Potential relocation of the Greyhound Bus terminal and possible redevelopment of the parking garage at Union Station are currently under consideration by Akridge and several other entities including the District Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC), created in 1982 to restore Union Station using $8.1 million appointed funds. Akridge has yet to disclose a timeline for the project's multiple phases, other than to say it plans to propose the early phases of construction upon the completion of Amtrak's master plan, expected to come early next year. A tentative goal for beginning the initial infrastructure work on Burham Place is for 2014. 

Washington D.C. 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

What Would Ike Like?

Over forty American architects and artists submitted a design to the Eisenhower Memorial Counterdesign competition hosted by the National Civic Art Society (NCAS) and the Institute for Classical Architecture & Classical America (ICA&CA) Mid-Atlantic Chapter, and sixteen of these designs were on display at the reception following the competition's finale last night, which coincided with the 67th anniversary of D Day.

For a memorial that has been estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers between $90 and $110 million, guest-of-honor and Ike's grandaughter Susan Eisenhower was apt to end her address by saying, "I'm not at all surprised that this group has decided to step up to the plate and start a debate, who could do anything but say this is the American way?"

The counterdesign competition was launched in direct opposition to current Frank Gehry designs for the memorial to honor the 34th president and five-star general. Gehry was selected by the GSA to design a memorial on the approved site adjacent to the National Mall, contained in a boxed area between 6th and 7th Streets SW, Independence Avenue and the U.S. Dept. of Education, and falls over a three-pronged section of Maryland Avenue SW.

Ms. Eisenhower acknowledged the challenge of making any design truly "timeless," yet mused over the success of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument as being "perhaps because they don't say too much."

Below are the first place, second place and third place (tie) winners, followed by the Commission Commendation and the Committee Commendation, and finally the Frank Gehry design currently awaiting NCPC approval.

First place: Daniel W. Cook

Second Place: Sylvester J. Bartos, Jr. / Whitley E. Esteban

Third Place (tie): Robert Firmin & Bruce Wolfe

Third Place (tie): Francisco Ruiz

NCAS Commendation: Scott Collison



Committee Commendation: Michael Franck / Rodney Cook



Frank Gehry design:

Miller New Director of Real Estate Development for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development

Jeff Miller assumed the role of Director of Real Estate Development for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, yesterday, June 6th, confirms communications director Jose Sousa.

Miller founded Prospect Diversified in 2009 - a multi-family-property investment company - upon his exit from Trammel Crow, in October 2008. Prior to working with Trammel Crow, Miller spent a year and a half with Lowe Enterprises, after a five-year stint with JBG, from 2000 to 2005.

Miller first forayed into real estate in the early '90s, when, as he says, "the majority of the players were smaller, entrepreneurial groups capitalized with third party joint venture partners" before the industry "transitioned to fund-based and institutional capital, closer in form to investment bank or private equity funds."

He too went big - JBG, Lowe, Trammel Crow - from 2000 to 2008 and worked on a number of significant residential projects in the DC area before the market collapse.

For the last few years Miller has been focused on both his return to start-up, real estate enterprise, and the development of the Mount Vernon Triangle area as chairman of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, a private nonprofit.

Washington D.C. Real Estate development news

Opposing Designs to Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial Unveiled Tonight

Design alternatives for a memorial to President Eisenhower, solicited by the National Civic Art Society (NCAS), a DC-based nonprofit that "advocates the humanist tradition," together with the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art (ICA&A) Mid-Atlantic Chapter, a national nonprofit dedicated to advancing the classical form, will be judged tonight at the Rayburn House Office Building. A panel will select a $1000 first prize winner, and award $500 to a runner-up, prior to a reception that will serve to ignite dialogue amongst attendees regarding the three highly disputed, yet fairly secure, Frank Gehry designs for the site in question.

Just south of the Mall, the site was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in 2006, and Gehry was selected as the architect shortly thereafter; Gehry has submitted three designs to the NCPC for review and approval, which is currently underway.

The counter-designs that will be unveiled tonight are an attempt by co-hosts NCAS and ICA&A to generate a thoughtful discussion "about the meaning, inspiration and dignity of designs that are suitable to commemorate a distinguished president." Special guest, and Ike's granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower will be speaking at the event.

The competition sought alternatives from "classical architects and artists" and the judges are expected to "choose the design that best exemplifies the ideals of a meaningful, timeless memorial that is appropriate classical vision of Washington, DC."

In contrast to the Gehry design, the competition called for a design that would be "in harmony with the vision of the L'Enfant Plan and the McMillan Plan" and a sculptural representation recognizable as Dwight D. Eisenhower and "appropriately calibrated to the gravity of the memorial."

Right now the gravity of the memorial as designed by Gehry is public contention, yet, designs generated by the competition will be done in classical tastes - not everybody's cup of tea. The designs, and the direction of the District, are all up for debate.

D.C. Real Estate development news

Live Chat with NCPC on the Federal Imprint in DC

New development, modern architecture, and Washington DC's unique historic heritage. Can they all get along?

Today at 12:30pm, DCMud will host a live chat with NCPC’'s Christine Saum (Chief Urban Designer) and David Levy (Director of Urban Design and Plan Review) to discuss the agency'’s role in the design review process, and its efforts to define the federal interest in the urban design of the nation’s capital as an expanding, dynamic city. The live webchat will give our web audience a chance to ask questions and stump the urban planning experts. The chat will be in advance of NCPC's presentation "Contemporary Design, Historic City," to be given the evening of June 7th.

The chat will take place on DCMud on Monday at 12:30pm.

Where are Virginia's Green Apartments?

Arlington Virginia, one of the most affluent counties in the U.S, takes a predictably green approach to development. Burnishing its green credentials, Arlington was the first jurisdiction in the country to adopt an incentive system to persuade developers to build sustainable, efficient structures, enacting a green program as early as 1999. Alexandria partnered with Virginia Tech’s Department of Urban Affairs and Planning to design a new collaborative planning process, called Eco-City Alexandria, to foster sustainable building. So far, surprisingly few residential developers have taken up the counties on their offers. Since Arlington's Green Building Incentive Program went into effect in 2000, permitting extra height or density for obtaining LEED certification, just three residential developments in the city of Arlington have earned the USGBC's green ranking, only one of which received additional density. In Alexandria, only one new condo and one apartment achieved a LEED ranking. Arlington's 220 Twentieth in Crystal City is LEED certified, the lowest certification available, while Arlington's Parc Rosslyn, a subsidized housing project built by APAH, earned a Silver designation, one step better. 

Just recently, Lyon Place in Clarendon was awarded LEED status (the leasing office was unable to identify which kind). In Alexandria, Cromley Lofts earned Virginia's first LEED designation with an impressive Gold ranking (the 3rd highest of 4 levels) in 2007, but since then only the Station at Potomac Yards has achieved the USGBC's stamp of approval. The Crescent in Falls Church has also recently earned LEED recognition, and most recently the Macedonian obtained EarthCraft certification. In Washington D.C., by contrast, numerous residences have the distinction, including the Alta, WestEnd25 (Gold), Flats130 (part of LEED-ND, a more nebulous neighborhood designation) at Constitution Square, Capitol Quarter (Silver), Georgia Commons, Gables at Takoma (Silver), Residences at Square 80, and Solea condos (Gold). The USGBC website, though providing an incomplete and inadequate list, puts Arlington's LEED projects at 34 (for all building types), and Washington D.C.'s LEED projects at 141. Developers have long complained that the LEED certification process is rigid and costly, requiring a longer process, more paperwork and greater expense both to build and get certification. Another factor is public demand, which most agree puts very little premium on green construction. But Joan Kelsch, Arlington's Green Building Program Manager, says that shortcomings in the initial program have been addressed, and that a wave of LEED certified buildings is about to hit the market. In 2009, the county tweaked its incentives, raising the incentive for housing developers and lowering incentives on office construction, which were building in green with or without the incentives. "Any large office building getting built is going to be LEED certified, because the market is demanding that now. That's not true of residential buildings." Of residential buildings, Kelsch says "they typically get 6-12 units [in extra density], depending on the size of the building." Kelsch says the lack of LEED certified projects has more to do with timing. "I think the fact that we don't have alot of them finished is not necessarily an indication that the program hasn't been successful, there's just been a lull in construction and there are many in the pipeline. We think its been very successful." Kelsch also notes that 24% of residential units approved between December, 2003 and December, 2008 were intended to be certified as LEED, some of which are under construction or have been built and are seeking certification. Others, like the Tellus, simply haven't been built. But numerous other projects have been designed without green features. Virginia also recognizes the EarthCraft brand of sustainable certification, which several developments have opted for but which Arlington's Green Building Incentive Program does not recognize. According to Kelsch, the county has considered giving bonus density for meeting EarthCraft, which the state now uses to reward subsidized housing projects. Though the trend is for better, greener buildings, neither the county nor the public are yet demanding it. Until one of them does, it seems builders will not always see the advantages of green. Arlington, Virginia real estate development news

Standing Tall in Arlington

By Beth Herman

Loosely translated from the Greek, Macedonian means "tall one." Though the eponymous 36-unit apartment building in Arlington, Va., 2229 Shirlington Road, may be only four stories high, it clearly stands tall among its residential peers as the first new construction multifamily affordable housing development in the city to achieve EarthCraft certification. EarthCraft is the standard by which the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) evaluates energy efficiency.

With a confluence of ideals reflecting community enhancement and sustainability, nonprofit affordable housing developer AHC Inc. and property owner Macedonia Baptist Church partnered in 2008 to conceive the Macedonian. Opening this month in a historically African-American neighborhood comprised largely of single family detached bungalows and newer town homes, by design the building trumpets the church’s mission, as stated on its website, to help transform people’s lives.

“The county had undertaken a big redevelopment process for this community, developing a new planning tool called the Nauck Village Center Action Plan (in 2004),” said John Welsh, AHC director of its multifamily division. Constructing the nearby 94-unit Shelton in 2007, winner of two AIA/DC awards and one Arlington County Design Award, Welsh and colleagues soon entered into a dialogue with the church about the church-owned parcel that would eventually become the Macedonian.

Offering development expertise and acquiring funding in the form of $3.9 million in VHDA tax-exempt bonds, $2.7 million in tax credit equity, $550,000 in deferred development fees, a county cash flow note of nearly $3.5 million, and TCAP funding of about $2.4 million, AHC teamed with Bonstra Haresign Architects and Bozzuto Construction to create a multi-use structure that also designates 2,000 s.f. of commercial space for shops and the church-affiliated CDC, and acts as an incubator for several area start-up businesses.

Air Share

According to Thomas Wallinga, AHC construction manager and former architect with Bonstra Haresign, while energy efficient lighting and appliances were standard on the path to EarthCraft certification, additional unit sealing to prevent energy leakage was high on the construction agenda, as were low-emissivity double-pane windows and low-flow fixtures.

"But the most unusual thing we did was actually the mechanical system,” Wallinga said, identifying a Mitsubishi variable fluid flow (as opposed to air flow) system: the CITY MULTI R2-series. Used largely in Europe and Asia, up to nine units operate off of one condenser in a two-pipe system, according to Wallinga. In this respect, energy is shared between individually-metered units so that one tenant can use heat and another air conditioning, simultaneously, a common practice in transitional seasons like spring and fall. “It balances things out at a much higher efficiency level than typical heat pumps,” he explained.Per Welsh’s description of the process, the Mitsubishi product works like an old hydronic system but utilizes Puron, an environmentally safe refrigerant. He explained that the system is relatively new in the U.S., has not been used residentially, and there is no existing method to determine a SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) rating.

Virginia Tech is said to be studying the product for testing and rating purposes. In order to meet aesthetic standards as well as sustainable design goals, the team located nine Mitsubishi condensers in the ventilated parking garage, instead of as eyesores on the lawn or the roof, in part to showcase a modular “live roof” system that includes concrete paver patio space for residents. Featuring sedum, large individual trays of plantings sit atop a secured, reflective, watertight roof membrane to reduce storm water runoff. Green carpeting suffuses the patio area to the parapets, with stone edging, so the roof membrane is not visible.

Framing was done in 2x6 construction, with Lycene—a closed-cell spray insulation system—used for optimal energy efficiency. Low-VOC paints and sealants were used, and recycled content is evident in materials that include carpeting, though carpeting was kept to a minimum.

A floor for more

“We wanted something that looks better and is more durable in terms of tenant changeovers,” Wallinga said, citing the use of Amtico flooring. A vinyl product that is “heavy duty” but aesthetically imitates fine wood, the 4x36-ft. strips resemble a warm cherry floor, the results achieved by photographing wood and transferring to the vinyl printing process for a plank look. While bedrooms are carpeted, kitchens, living rooms and hallways utilize Amtico, with any damage easily rectified and expense mitigated by replacing just a single strip, when necessary.

“The building is also smoke-free—you can’t even smoke on the balconies” which is what the church wanted in its pursuit of a healthier environment, Welsh explained. “And by cutting the use of carpeting by 50 or 70 percent, we’re cutting down on allergens for a better breathing environment, not to mention decreasing maintenance costs and landfill impact by having to rip it out when someone moves out.

Five designated ADA units have requisite roll-under kitchen and bathroom cabinets and roll-in showers, with audio-visual adaptation if a tenant is hearing or visually-impaired, but all other units are partially adaptable if necessary. Noting 529 people had made inquiry about the building, Welsh said 64 applications had been received to date and about a dozen residents have moved in.

"The Macedonian looks like market-rate apartments,” Wallinga said. “There’s nothing to distinguish this type of affordable housing from anything you’d see in a condo or market-rate building.”

photographs courtesy of Anice Hoachlander and Thomas Wallinga

Adams Morgan 1950s-era Auto Dealership Back on the Market

Booze-filled, bauble-covered bodies course through Adams Morgan's main ventricle, 18th Street, hopping in-and-out of bars and filling out a strip of nightlife that is arguably unrivaled elsewhere in the District. Two blocks east, running virtually parallel to 18th, is Champlain Street.

At 2329 Champlain Street NW, there is a 30,000+ sf building that at first glance appears to have been built out of river rocks. Brick-and-cement in actuality, the structure was built in 1957 to house an auto dealership, and later became the Brass Knob warehouse, until 2004.

Adjacent to the lofty warehouse space, at 2335 Champlain Street NW, is a compact, 100-year-old brick building, and former site of the Georgetown Plating Polishing & Repair Co.

First sited for redevelopment in 2005, a plan to turn the combined properties into a 22-unit multi-family residence was approved in May 2006, but crashed around '07/'08. Involved parties are now back on their feet, for the most part.

Gourley & Gourley LLC was the lender in '05, and is now the owner, and selling.

In February of this year, Gourley & Gourley, along with counsel Holland & Knight, and with conceptual drawings by Bill Bonstra of Bonstra│Haresign Architects, approached the Board of Zoning Adjustments with the request to bump up the 2006 design of 22 units to 31. The BZA approved the change in March.

The approved 31-unit design now needs a developer, and finding one rests with Robert Meehling of CB Richard Ellis. Meehling seems confident. Blaming time and circumstance for killing the first go at developing the adaptive reuse project, Meehling said he believes the area has a solid market for units pegged at $550 to $600 psf.

The current, but still evolving, design will preserve the existing façade, and add two levels of high-ceiling units. According to Bonstra, the design will incorporate "raised bedrooms" on the first two floors, while playing with a glassier, full-window concept above, and will overall honor the "neighborhood aesthetic." The auto dealership/warehouse portion was built with 1.5' thick walls, which will be preserved, but the use of the smaller brick structure is yet to be determined.

D.C. Real Estate development news

Next at Bat: Camden South Breaks Ground

In two years’ time there will be 276 apartments to rent on South Capitol Street in Southwest, just a foul tip away from the Nationals Stadium. Donohoe Construction, general contractor on the project, broke ground Wednesday on the building – Camden South Capitol – and aims to be finished in late summer of 2013. This should give renters enough time to grab an apartment in time to not see the Nationals in the 2013 World Series.

Pictured: Mark Bucci (Camden), Screech (Nats Mascot), Bob Wilson (Donohoe), Neil Stablow (Donohoe), Greg McCarthy (Nats)

The project, named for developer Camden Property Trust, will rise out of a previously vacant site, nearly the size of the Nats’ outfield. It’s been duly noted that a structure named “Camden” might be more appropriate in Baltimore, a (Nats fans’) stone’s throw from Camden Yards.

The 276-unit building, designed by WDG Architecture, will rise over 10 ten stories and feature a rooftop pool, a courtyard, “high finishes and upscale residences”, three levels of underground parking, and will sport a grey-brick exterior of contrasting textures and colors: smooth vs. rough, and light vs. dark.

These aforementioned features create a view of the buildings, but a view from the building may be even more impressive, according to Sean Stadler at WDG Architecture: one, there may be a view up to the Capitol to the north and the Anacostia River to the south, at least for upper-floor dwellers; and two, the rooftop deck will offer a view into the ballpark, transforming the pool into cheap seats at game time. Reminder: binoculars not waterproof.

According to Susan Goldstein at Donohoe, Camden South is the first multi-family project to get off (or in) the ground in the area for 3 and a half years, and “the Capitol Riverfront BID is working to incorporate this site into the BID.” Also of note yesterday, a win for the Nationals who squeaked by the Phillies for a 2-1 victory.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Southwest Federal Center Gets Green Improvements

Federal planners voted today to approve replacement of a swath of pavement in Southwest DC with a landscaped park, converting the area dominated by federal office buildings and minimal streetscaping into something slightly greener and a touch less alienating.

The National Capitol Planning Commission's vote today facilitates the plan to turn a large surface parking lot on C Street into a public park, narrow the street, create a sidwalk, and blend the now ubiquitous security wall more discreetly into the landscaping.  The 5-story Mary E. Switzer building, owned by GSA and host to an alphabet soup of agencies, has already been given an internal nip-tuck, with greener, more modern features, but outside had abandoned any pretense of pedestrian friendly streetscaping in favor of automobile access and security.

Plans for the building directly across from C Street, which also sports a large surface parking lot, are in the works but have not yet been approved.  The block-sized Switzer building was completed in 1940 and has been a government office building since completion, but is on a regular tourist footpath between the Federal Center Southwest Metro station and the Mall.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place...

By Franklin Schneider

I can't be the only one who goes to the museum and thinks, “if you cleared out all these thousand-year-old clay pots and paintings of men in powdered wigs, this room would make a great home theater!” And you know what? I was right! This luxury condo is located in the Landmark Lofts, a restoration of the former DC Children's Museum, and yes, the epic proportions of a museum do indeed translate to a living space.

There's a massive living room with exposed brick, that opens onto a private terrace. A large kitchen with breakfast bar is just off the living room, and there's an expansive den with a dizzying photomural of nearby Union Station. The master bathroom is as big as the shower area at my gym, except it's luxurious, made of marble, and there isn't that one guy in the corner urinating onto his own feet. (He claims it cures athlete's foot but we all know he's just a pervert.)

But as always, its really the details that make a place, and this unit has it all. An integrated iPod dock and condo-wide Bose soundsystem, laundry, two parking spaces, and a huge walk-in closet that you'll never ever fill, even if you won the lottery and went shopping every single day like Kanye West. Also, there's a wine cellar! Yes, a wine cellar! I'm not a wine person, so I'd probably just use it for, like, shoe storage, but still. That's not the point.

215 I St. NE #101
Washington, DC
2 Bdrms, 2.5 Baths $1,174,000

14th Street Condos Moving Ahead?

Construction of one of 14th Street's condo projects is inching closer to reality now that initial site work is taking place at the corner of 14th and R Streets, NW. Developer Habte Sequar purchased the land for $3.8m in November of 2009, with a goal of a beginning construction this time last year. But with financing more difficult than expected, the site in the middle of the 14th Street corridor has remained vacant since, pending adequate financial backing.

Sequar says the current construction is merely "testing dirt," rather than an official start to construction, but that "the project is getting closer" to breaking ground, and promises more information within a few weeks.

Architect Bill Bonstra of Bonstra | Haresign confirms that the project is all but ready for construction. Bonstra initially designed the project for a prior owner, and Sequar has made only minor changes to the project since his purchase, says project architect David Baker. The 6,000 s.f. lot will sport 30 condos and an 18 space garage beneath the building. Ellisdale is managing construction of the project. The 30,000 s.f. building will feature glass and buff limestone prominently on three sides, with red brick fronting R Street, and is designed to give a nod to 14th Street's automobile row legacy. Baker wagered a rough estimate of 14 to 16 months build out.

The long gestation time might sync the project with a greater appetite for condos than it now has, but the timing also puts completion at the same time as the District Condos, which is under construction and will deliver 125 units around the same time. PN Hoffman also has a planned condominium project across the street, and though timing of that is uncertain, construction may be underway as Sequar's property is completing, making for 3 condo projects within a block. Sequar also built the Rhode Island condos at 440 Rhode Island Ave., NW, completed in 2009 and still selling, and the Renaissance Condos at 1618 11th St., NW, a 16 unit building that completed in 2007 and sold out last month. Sequar has plans for another project just north of U Street that has not started construction yet.

Washington D.C. Real Estate development news

H Street Northeast's Soft Middle

The furthest, eastern-most, end of H Street Northeast, from 12th to 15th, has successfully bloomed into a thriving arts and entertainment district in the past few years, with several haunts having opened in the dense 3-block area in the last year alone. The western end is also about to come into its own, with projects like the Giant set to start construction momentarily. If the corridor has a weak underbelly, however, its the middle, where another project has just been given a 2-year extension before construction needs to begin.

The DC Office of Planning (OP)'s overlay for H Street divides the corridor into three "unique destination districts": housing from 2nd to 7th, neighborhood-serving retail from 7th to 12th, and arts and entertainment from 12th to 15th.

The arts and entertainment district from about 12th east onward has been the obvious development frontrunner, with retail like Smith Commons, a 3-story restaurant/lounge; Toki Underground, a hip Ramen noodle place above The Pug, a go-to neighborhood bar; Queen Vic, a British pub with outdoor deck; DC Ink; and Dangerously Delicious Pies.

Falling outside of the true "entertainment corridor" is HR-57, a well-known jazz club relocated from 14th Street. HR-57 is between 8th and 9th Street and could hint at an entertainment district's takeover of an area planned for neighborhood-serving retail.

The middle of H Street continues to be Pillsbury soft in retail and commercial ventures, with Rappaport's blockbusting project still at least a year out, and now a mixed-use commercial and residential on the largest block of H Street that has failed to get off the ground for the last 4 years has been given another 2 year reprieve due to lack of financing.

601-645 H Street, by H Street Ventures LLC, was granted a two year extension by the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on May 17th. The project was originally approved by the Board in August 2007, and was granted an extension in August 2009. The project, involves the largest sole-ownership chunk of land in the H Street Overlay at just over 100,000 s.f., and has 560 feet of frontage on H Street . The owner purchased the property in 2005 with ends flanked by two 5-story office buildings at 601 and 645 H Street and empty lot in between.

The project would string three structures into one, creating a "continuous frontage along H Street" which would be "one building for zoning purposes." The plan would retain office space on the ends, add center infill with retail space featuring a 14-foot glass display, as called for by zoning , and stack the top and back of these structures with residential 240 units. A pedestrian connection would run between the office structures; over the retail space, and under residential units.
The project would create 312,000 s.f. of residential space, 191,000 s.f. of office space, and 8,000 s.f. of retail, resulting in more than a 50% increase in the built area. The face would rise nines stories to 90 feet, with 3 levels of below-grade parking containing 487 spaces - more than double the space required by zoning regulations. Despite these factors, it is not density, height or traffic issues that have stymied progress for 601-645 H Street NE, but financing.

The BZA granted the extension due to the owner's "inability to obtain sufficient project financing due to economic and market conditions beyond the applicants reasonable control." Some early neighborhood concerns over height resulted in a reconfiguration, with 13 residential units taken off the top, and tucked into the sides creating a "step down" structure that stands 90 feet and drops off as the building extends to south - to 85', then 50' and finally 40' where the structure meets row houses fringing the site. This design was utilized to create a less looming appearance for the residents in the row houses.

Two ANCs - 6C, in which the project falls, and 6A, which lies 200 feet from the property -along with the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and the Linden Neighborhood Association, have all been in favor of the project, according to the request for extension filed on March 29 by Chip Glasgow of Holland & Knight. Yet, Bobbi Krengel, a 12-year citizen member of ANC 6C, said that the project stands to be improved, and suggests a further decrease in height and increased architectural elements, in order to improve its 560' face on H Street.

A report compiled on April 27 by ANC 6A's Economic Development and Zoning Committee said that financing may be problematic due to lack of a long-term office tenant. Currently, a Department of Human Services' branch - the Income Maintenance Administration (IMA), designed to serve "low income neighborhoods" - has a lease on 645 H Street that is set to expire in 2013. According to ANC 6A, H Street Ventures has been trying to secure a long-term lease with the District, but so far no lease has been signed. The DC Office of Property Management's Real Estate Services "could not comment on pending negotiations."

So for now it looks as though a functioning trolley line will connect the two ends of H Street before there is much reason to hop off in the middle.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

The Tellus: Arlington's First LEED Gold Project Delayed Further

Arlington's most sustainably designed apartment building will spend at least another year in planning mode, say its developers. Erkiletian's plans for the Tellus, a 254-unit apartment building in Clarendon, designed to achieve LEED Gold certification back in 2008, is still likely a year away from construction.

The apartments that will replace an outmoded apartment building at 2009 14th Street were approved by the county in early 2009, with an expected late 2009 start date. "The economy had a little bit to do with it" says development manager Bill Denton of the delay. Erkiletian is now hoping for an early 2012 construction start. The Tellus will replace one of Arlington's least attractive office buildings, and would be the first residence to earn LEED Gold certification in the county, if built according to the original plans. Erkiletian originally planned for environmentally-friendly facilities such as storm water retention, on-site irrigation, drought-resistant native plants on a green roof plaza, low-flow plumbing fixtures, bicycle and smart car options, power derived from a green sourced grid as well as on-site solar, a sustainable power source that has yet to achieve commercial viability and is rarely used on multi-family buildings.

Lessard Group designed the building to achieve the 2nd highest LEED ranking, but Denton says specifics are still in flux. Regarding use of solar panels, Denton says "we hope to, it will be part of the consulting document, trying to reach LEED Gold," but that such options are still being weighed.

Arlington Virginia real estate development news