American Institute of Architects Opens New DC Center Tomorrow

How stressful is it for the architect chosen to design a new center for architects? According to the winning team at Hickok Cole, not that stressful. Hundreds of architects will have their chance to judge the design tonight as the DC chapter of the American Institute of Architects unveils the District Architecture Center. The new Penn Quarter showroom, an 11,000 s.f. retail space for architects and public education of architecture, will offer free admission to the public beginning tomorrow to "learn more about the importance and impact of architecture design and the profession," and will kick off the week with a series of public lectures throughout the week.

Hickok Cole won the design competition from 16 submissions to design the architecture headquarters, beginning a full renovation this May that is still wrapping up in advance of tonight's private unveiling. The remake transforms the two-story retail space on 7th Street - once the Obama souvenir shop - into offices, classrooms, and instructional space that serves to educate AIA members while pulling in foot traffic to engage and instruct with videos and links to DC's better examples of architectural design. The AIA wants you to appreciate the sense of transparency:

[the space has] two distinct volumes: a wood room that signifies solidity, and a glass room that suggests openness. Together, the two rooms produce a sense of warmth and openness. The use of glass walls and a glass ‘bridge’ for the center classroom in the heart of the building extends the feeling of openness and makes the building appear more spacious, while connecting it to the lower level. Natural daylight flows through the street storefront into the glass volume, and down to the lower level.

With interior walls composed almost entirely of glass, most of ground floor is visible from the street, back to the rear board room, filled in between with polished concrete and walnut floors and a two-story glass box that serves as offices (below) and a meeting room above. A floating glass bridge serves to connect the two meeting spaces while illuminating the subterranean office space. Exposed I-beams lend a design motif to the center, with railing stanchions and desks imitating the shape and color of the original beams. "We tried to create as much transparency as possible," said Tom Corrado, an architect with Hickok Cole that was responsible for executing the design vision.

The $1.9m makeover (about $400,000 over budget, alas) was contrived to achieve a LEED Gold ranking within the 1917 Oddfellows Building, and precedes, just barely, the 125th anniversary of the AIA that will be celebrated in Washington D.C. next year, drawing architects from around the country for the convention.

While conspiracy minded architects might note that Hickok Cole was not only the winning bidder, but also on the AIA DC board and judged the competition (and a major donor to the center), Michael Hickok assures DCMud that the competition was blind and - really, truly - judged as anonymous bids.

Hickok shrugged off the pressure from being judged on his work by the many architects that will use the space, saying the design was routine. "You do what you do. We didn't give this more attention" than other projects. Hundreds of architects are likely to be on hand tonight to judge for themselves if the inspiration was worthy of DC's public face of architecture. For those that can't make it to the center, check out the DC architecture app for your phone.

The Buzz in Southwest

Early this year, Duane Deason was just beginning the Office of Zoning's review process

for his Eric Colbert & Associates-designed residential building on a nearly 20,000-s.f piece of Anacostia riverfront property at 95 V Street in Southwest's Buzzard Point. Now, with Zoning approval secured in early August, seven years after the land investment was made by Deason, he is finally able to focus on the pursuit of "a variety of options including sale or joint venture." The 8-story, 110,760-s.f. building known as "Marina Place" will offer 97 units, with 9 set aside at less than market rate. On the ground floor, on the corner of V and 1st Street, will be 1,788 s.f. of retail space. Below grade will be two levels of parking split up into 108 spaces. In January, Deason said, "The views are phenomenal because its on a point, almost every unit in the building will have an outstanding view of the water." 

Deason bought his plot of Buzzard Point with the inkling that waterfront property was bound to deliver a substantial return on investment eventually, but it's been slow going for development projects slated for Buzzard Point, with any kind of concrete news much anticipated. Of interest to the area is the South Capitol Street Bridge project, to replace the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which is "finally proceeding forward," said Deason. The new bridge is part of the planned South Capitol Street revitalization effort to turn the thoroughfare into "a grand, urban boulevard... [with] elliptical traffic circle that will serve as open space for future monuments and memorials." The project, part of the larger Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, includes bringing the Anacostia Riverwalk around the Southwest bend. A DDOT project manager for the South Capitol Street Bridge said, "The Final Environmental Impact Statement was approved this summer which provided a preferred alternative conceptual design. We are currently advancing the plans to proceed with the Land Acquisition phase of the project. Construction is currently unfunded." Although DDOT confirmed that the project is going forward, exactly when is vague, and depends greatly on funding. Deason added that one improvement to the Anacostia waterfront area will involve the large Pepco substation located just north of his Marina Place residential building, "The generators are officially decommissioned in March of 2012 which will allow the removal of the large generators and petroleum storage tanks."

A healthy chunk of Buzzard Point currently waiting on development is privately owned by commanding D.C. developer Akridge: the 9-acre "100 V Street." The site is a game changer for the area, and of particular interest, to not just Buzzard Point but the entire District, as speculation continues that a new stadium for D.C. United on a portion of Akridge's three-block property between T and V Street is being hashed out; a deal that would keep the soccer team, now frustrated with its home at RFK stadium, in D.C. Akridge would not comment except to say that murmurs of a deal are "still just speculation." Steven Goff's Washington Post column "Soccer Insider," has an ongoing poll soliciting reader opinion on D.C. United's future, with the last option being: the team will "remain at RFK until the final brick crumbles, pipe bursts, raccoon visits." Goff also grilled D.C. United's president Kevin Payne recently on the search for land and the pursuit of local investors. For the time being, the sole project underway in Buzzard Point is Camden Property Trust's 276-unit apartment building "Camden South Capitol," to the west of the Nationals' Stadium on the corner of O and South Capitol Street. 

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

Yeesh. I've described many places as having “lots of light,” but as soon as I walked into this place, I realized that I'd been lying all those other times. (To claim your refund for those posts, simply write a letter that includes your name, address, and the dates you read the erroneous posts, then tear it into pieces and throw the pieces in the trash.)

Now THIS place has light. Massive floor to ceiling windows that really flood the unit with natural light. People say candlelight is the most flattering light, but it's not really; it's just dark, so people can't see your smoker's teeth and laugh lines. Natural light, though, is clarifying AND flattering. I looked ten years younger in this place. I took out my phone and tried to quickly take a new profile pic for Facebook, but the agent went bananas when I started oiling my torso. I tried to explain to him that the oil dripping everywhere was good for the hand-stained hardwood floors, but he wouldn't listen.

But there's more to the place than just windows, and at 1100 square feet, there's a lot to love. Two very fine, large bedrooms (each with its own full bath), a separate dining area, high ceilings, and a private balcony with a breathtaking view. It seems breathtakingly high up and you're really able to look down on the entire city - literally, not the way I do it, by just walking around curling my lip at people. There are also remote control shades for the incredibly huge tall windows, and the unit comes with a parking space and storage unit. Just a block from the U Street metro, in prime territory for shopping, nightlife, and four pound, three-thousand calorie slices of pizza for $1.99. America!

2020 12th Street NW #709
2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms

$639,900

Artist Loft Project Near U Street Under the Knife Again

Last week, the Historic Preservation Review Board denied approval for a proposed residential and retail project featuring live-work artist lofts at 1932 9th Street NW and requested a significant "modification to the massing" of the 4-story building; a reduction-in-density request that threatens the project's viability.

Regardless, owner/developer Paul So remains committed to the project, and will continue to work with HPRB through project architect Greg Kearley of Inscape Studio to come up with a suitable design that will be deemed compatible with its surroundings in the Historic U Street District locale.

As one Board member pointed out, however, the inability of the project to blend in comes from both its size, given its location on a double-wide (36') lot in the midst of singles, and its style, which is distinctly modern.
The project was first denied by the HPRB in 2009, and subsequently shelved for economic reasons. The current, revised design, in addition to being one story shorter and with compressed floor heights, includes several other changes in appearance from two years ago: recessed balconies, the addition of a cornice, a modified storefront, a change in color of cladding tiles, a pulled back roof deck on 9-1/2 Street (the back, alley side of the lot) the relocation of a stairway, and submerged mechanical functions.

Though Kearley said "the changes [made] were very specific to the concerns raised by the Board in December of 2009," the Board still felt that the height, two stories higher than immediate neighbors, was not appropriate, and that the design was not quite right.

One option available to the developer in order to save his investment, which is currently being considered, is to "get a zoning variance on the occupancy ratio as to extend the back end of the building on top of the originally proposed parking spaces [to] potentially gain back more marketable square footage lost from the height restriction."

So purchased the property in July of 2008 for $1.4 million, and in 2009 a few doubts were raised over the project's economic feasibility, considering a large component of the building would be artist lofts asking low rents. While there will be artist live-work lofts clustered toward 9-1/2 Street, there will also be market-rate apartments included in the project, and ground-floor retail.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

The Story of Light and Wind

By Beth Herman

For one homeowner in northwest D.C., long since moved away, the addition of a 1969 solarium to a 1929 residence meant capturing the sun in a light-filled space. But based on construction standards of the day, the structure was not without serious problems that included sweeping temperature variances. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer, untempered, single pane glazing further aided and abetted the building’s botherations. And because key energy and safety issues plagued the cavernous space, its use was limited for the current homeowners who relished observing the weather and the great outdoors.

With a configuration of an up-and-down space that had actually involved two additions, joined by a stairway, the larger space was 20-by-12 feet and the long, thin L-shaped space was slightly smaller. “When you went from the house into the larger space, you very much felt like you’d walked into a garden or greenhouse,” said Principal Amy Gardner of Gardner Mohr Architects, noting among the goals was to extend that feeling into the L-shaped space as well.

Lighting the way

In addition to addressing these intrinsic issues, and in a modern application of elements, Gardner used both natural and electric light as art in an unusual design challenge to recast the space. “They were really focused on what we could do with lighting,” Gardner said, noting lighting design specialist John Coventry was retained for the job.

At the same time, the homeowners did not want the solarium’s mid-century quality entirely subjugated to 21^st Century design dictums. “They wanted to bring it up in time, but keep what was really timeless about it,” Gardner explained, adding still another facet of the redesign was not to make it so au courant that one might look back in a few years and know exactly when it was renovated.

Twenty-one feet at its apogee, the solarium created what Gardner called “an acoustically spectacular space” for the homeowners who appreciate music, and an opportunity to strategically employ skylights, transparent and translucent glass in realizing the design. To that end, glass wall panels, doors and windows were placed where the homeowners knew the sun rose and set, marking the passage of light in each day and each season. Because of the orientation of each addition, and despite a dominant north face, multiple skylights were employed to capture even the south light, Gardner explained, to bounce off various surfaces and reflect down into the space. “In a sense light became the art in the room,” she said.

Desiring a pristine ceiling plane, thereby eschewing traditional recessed lighting, ample ambient and task lighting was achieved and textured in part by placement of a translucent shoji-like screen panel, lit from the base by concealed LED lights. In the evening the panel glows from the inside out, and pivotal exterior lights in turn focus lighting from the other side. Pieces from an art collection are illuminated by spots and a smattering of track lights that, according to the architect, “…became a kind of jewelry in the space.” In essence, and especially referencing the screen panel, surfaces themselves became light fixtures, Gardner said.

Warmth, weather and wood

Where heating and cooling were concerned, over nearly four decades insulation had become compacted and inadequate, needing to be replaced. With an improved envelope, and though there is auxiliary heat and air conditioning, a radiant floor was selected for comfort and efficiency, and to mitigate the effects of considerable glazing.

Because the homeowners like to experience weather, skylights are operable providing for natural ventilation when utilized. Doors and windows were strategically located for ideal cross-ventilation and to court the natural convection of the space where air moves from high to low, or low to high, depending on seasonal temperatures. “We tried to make use of as many passive strategies as we could implement for light and ventilation,” Gardner said.

Wood used in the redesign is rapidly renewable eucalyptus, and the indoor/outdoor flooring is a charcoal-colored brick paver. A simulated slate sloping roof on one section is by EcoStar, which is recycled material, with a thermoplastic polyolethin (TPO) roofing membrane on the structure’s flat roof aspect.

As the space was technically considered an alteration rather than a formal addition, the architects were not tasked with bringing it up to code. Nevertheless they did so, accomplishing it by improving the building envelope with more efficient materials, elements, strategies and systems within the late 1960s infrastructure—and in fact exceeding current energy efficiency code requirements by 28 percent. “We did this without substantive modification of the envelope itself,” Gardner affirmed, noting wall and roof cavities were not increased, nor was the floor structure modified.

“Working with what was there was really important,” Gardner said of the distinguished ‘60s solarium, “but we were also driven by the goals of capturing light and wind.”

Photos courtesy of Boris Suvak

14th Street Post Office Development Ready to Begin

A few months ago, there were stirrings that a lively bistro concept featuring modern Southern fare from New York-based Chow Down Inc. was en route to an infill site at 1407-1409 T Street, NW, just off 14th Street. Though that plan has died, construction is expected to be underway in the next few weeks, with the owner now developing the space into two 2-story buildings designed by Steve Karr of Rockville.

John Dempsey of Chow Down Inc. had been interested in buying the 4,000-s.f. property, consisting of a historic post office and an empty lot (postal truck driveway), from owner/developer Ron Eichner of New Legacy Partners. But after a storm of sorts in response to a liquor license application, Dempsey withdrew his offer.

Eichner believes potentially incoming entrepreneurs have no cause for concern regarding liquor licensing or neighborhood backlash. A bakery interested in the site wouldn't serve spirits, and the second interested tenant, a well-known local restaurateur, would most likely serve beer and wine, but with "reasonable" hours, said Eichner, clarifying that the establishment is "not a bar type."

The new plan is actually the old plan. Despite having listed the property for sale – resulting in more than one interested buyer wading deep into purchase territory over the last few years – Eichner had originally intended to develop and lease the property. Eichner's agent, Karen Nelson of Blake Dickson Real Estate Services, explained that selling was considered only after numerous inquiries from eager buyers. "Every single call I got was 'would you sell'?" said Nelson.

The property is still listed, for $2.2 million, which is twice what Eichner paid in June of 2008, however, Nelson reiterated that "the idea was never to sell."

With a building permit issued and financing secure, Eichner said he expects 9 months of construction to begin, by Eichberg Construction, "in the next few weeks." The project includes the adaptive reuse of the long defunct post office, a compact limestone structure built in 1940 and run by African-Americans, with the primary local post office located around the corner at 1438 U Street (which happens to also be for sale/lease). There will also be a second-story addition set back 15' on top of the post office.

A new 2-story building will be constructed on the slim empty space, now gated and filled with old furniture. The exterior of the new building will be visually distinct from the limestone post office, with the use of glass, metal and dark gray stone.

Located in the U Street Historic District, plans were approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board back in September of 2008, and as a modest by-right development, Eichner did not have to go through the Office of Zoning for approval.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

Would you like to live in Ledroit Park? Of course you would. Any neighborhood with its name on a metal archway over the main road in has to be good. That, or you live in EuroDisney.

This gleaming new condo unit offers an open plan first floor that's made for entertaining; the space is bisected by a huge kitchen, with a bright living room in the front of the house, and a generously sized dining area in the rear. The kitchen itself boasts a gas range (with hood) and silestone counters. There are also the requisite high ceilings, recessed lighting, hardwood (maple) floors. Out back, there's also a private deck, off which you just know that one stupid friend of yours will urinate during halftime of your Super Bowl party. What's wrong with him?

Upstairs are two master bedroom suites, both very fine. Also, this stretch of Sixth Street is one-way and in that sort of weird limbo between Florida Avenue and the Howard University campus, so it's really really quiet. I live just three blocks west on Sixth, but in front of my house it's a nonstop ambulance drag race-slash-siren exhibition. So I was pretty jealous. I offered to trade places straight up, but the agent turned me down. I thought this was rather shortsighted of him. Sure, it comes with a huge colony of black mold on the living room wall, but just do what I do – put a “Wolverine” poster over it. Problem solved!

1915 6th St. NW
2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$565,000

Norwood Apartments: A TOPA odyssey in Logan Circle

Tomorrow, newly bound-together residents of The Norwood will celebrate the six-year trek toward creating an affordable cooperative in Logan Circle. The Norwood/1417 N Street Cooperative, through the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) process, assisted by the D.C. Office of Tenant Advocate and the Latino Economic Development Corporation, and financed by the Department of Housing and Community Development's First Right Purchase Assistance program, was able to purchase their 7-story, 84-unit apartment building "The Norwood" for $9.3 million from Landmark Atlantic at the end of July. Initially, the Norwood Tenants Association, led by co-presidents David Fabian and Silvia Salazar, banded together in October of 2005 over numerous housing condition concerns: black mold infestations, a malfunctioning elevator, unsafe stairways, and an "alarming" bedbug problem. "We started out just trying to improve the conditions in the building," said Fabian, which turned into what he describes as an "incredible learning opportunity," resulting in the formation of a cooperative, direct negotiations with the landlord, and a building purchase. 

Farah Fosse, LEDC's Director of Affordable Housing Preservation, explains that her organization was called in to help preserve affordable housing, improve poor housing conditions, and assist with the sale and conversion of the building. In 2006, the owner was looking to convert the 1930's building to condos, but Norwood Tenant Association leadership knew it would ultimately force out many of the building's low to moderate-income renters; the association rejected the offer and demanded that the building be brought up to code before any conversion could be made (essentially buying time, while organizing plans to pursue the TOPA process). When the owner slapped the tenants with rent increases, they simply refused to pay without any improvements having been made to their living conditions. Lawsuits ensued, and the issue was thrust into the open. 

In May of 2007, the owner offered the tenants the opportunity to purchase The Norwood at just over $12 million. Without a third party contract, without improved housing conditions and with the building's appraisal coming in at less than the owner's price point, the tenants didn't bite. It took another four years to negotiate various lawsuits, to organize/educate the tenants, and to pursue financing. With the owner finally agreeing to shave nearly $3 million off the purchase price, on the grounds that he would not have to do a substantial overhaul of the dilapidated interior, the Co-op was able to close on its building quickly after receiving the DHCD loan early this summer. Now, the newly formed Co-op Board is going through the process to convert the building. Fosse explained, "Soon [residents] will have the choice to buy into the Co-op." Part of LEDC's role prior to conversion was to make sure that those residents would be financially able to do that, so as to prevent any displacement. The Board is also seeking private financing from banks in order to complete a full renovation of the 73-year-old art deco building sometime next year, said Fabian, with plans to incorporate a child care facility. Fosse said improving the living conditions at The Norwood is an ongoing issue; just this summer the number of inhabitants at the building skyrocketed – the unwelcome incomers part of a severe rat infestation. 

The Norwood is now managed by EJF Real Estate Services, replacing Landmark Atlantic's Fleetwood Management (since reconfigured into a new company). The Norwood is far from being alone. Elsewhere in D.C., Fosse says, "A huge number of buildings are going up for sale, and we're actually seeing pretty reasonable prices." The problem is, "Low-interest real estate loans are hard to come by. There is not much money in the trust fund." LEDC is currently working with the tenants of nearly a dozen other buildings, in predominately Latino communities, with several located along the Georgia Ave corridor. 

Washington D.C. real estate development news

HPRB: Site of DC's First Walmart Not Historic

As was expected, the Historic Preservation Review Board voted yesterday in line with the Historic Preservation Office recommendation not to designate the Car Barn on Georgia Avenue as a historic landmark. The site is the proposed location of the District's first Wal-Mart, and a historic designation would have complicated and slowed the path to development. Property owner Foulger Pratt will be able to continue demolition (abruptly halted) of the structure.

Several individuals and parties, both for and against slapping the Barn with historic landmark status, gave impassioned testimony as to whether preservation was important based on the structure's integrity, and ability to convey the meaning for which it was deemed significant.

One testimony in opposition to preservation declared, "It's a blighted area and it has been for many years... preserving [the Car Barn] would defeat the effort of the community to revitalize the area."

However, a historian in favor noted the existence of old windows, materials, original brick walls, trusses, original roof skylights, old doors, and original layout (service and storage bay). A community member added, "It's a garage that represents the entire Brightwood community."

HPRB said preservation was an issue only of "significant integrity," most of which was lost when alterations began to convert the structure to a Chevy dealership in 1995, and in the end, the Board felt there was not enough.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Kelsey Gardens Construction Could Start by Next Quarter

In yet another vote of confidence for Shaw, Kelsey Gardens has now been purchased by the Jefferson Apartment Group, setting up the pins for yet another sizable construction project across from the CityMarket at O that could be under construction as soon as next quarter. The subsidized housing project has been vacant for several years, since the low-income, architecturally disappointing projects were closed down years ago in a bid for redevelopment. According to Bruce Levin of MAC Realty Advisors, which brokered the transaction, Jefferson paid $16,650,000 to purchase the entity that controls the site, keeping all entitlements in tact, meaning Jefferson can take over the PUD approval and existing demolition permits, allowing work to begin as early as Q1 of 2012. Metropolitan Development had purchased the austere collection of buildings in 2004 for $7m, and planned the project as Addison Square, wrangling $18 million from the city in tax abatements, as well as a zoning change to allow the density in the form of a Planned Unit Development - with the qualification that 54 of the 280 units be set aside for tenants making 60% of AMI. Jefferson settled on the purchase 2 weeks ago. Kelsey Gardens is just a few blocks south of Progression Place, a large residential project now well into construction and the Wonder Bread building, plans for which are now being hashed out, as well as the Howard Theater. A small slice of the Kelsey Project was cleaved from the site this spring when Capital City Real Estate bought a strip of land along P Street to build six 2-unit townhouses, for a total of 12- 2bed/2bath units, each around 1100 square feet. The CityMarket at O is also in the early phase of its construction. Lessard Architectural Group designed the project, which will include 14,700 s.f. of retail space along 7th. Jefferson Apartment Group also recently took over the lead role in developing the apartment project 14W, which is redeveloping the former Anthony Bowen YMCA. Washington D.C. real estate development news