Thursday, December 15, 2011
Lincoln Theatre Brings Films Back to U Street
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Forest City to Begin Construction of 225 Apartments, Harris Teeter in Southeast
Labels: Capitol Riverfront, Forest City, Shalom Baranes, Skanska, Southeast, Yards
Currently, Forest City is focused on phase one (of three) of its 42-acre Yards development in Southeast, D.C. With the first-phase Riverfront Park and Foundry Lofts already completed, and the Boilermaker Shops underway, the developer now turns to construction of Parcel D: a 225-unit apartment with a 50,000-s.f. Harris Teeter, 30,000-s.f. Vida fitness center, and 30,000-s.f. of additional retail space.
Parcel D's site runs along the east side of 4th Street, between Tingey and M Street. The project, under general contractor Skanska, aims for late 2013 completion.
Designed by Shalom Baranes, the site includes two buildings that will appear as having three distinct components: two residential towers (one above the Harris Teeter on 4th Street), and a shorter retail and fitness center building on the southernmost section of the lot (as seen above).
Directly across from Parcel D's retail building is the 2-story Boilermaker Shops (Parcel K) which includes 34,500 s.f. of retail with 12,000 s.f. of office space above, expected to deliver in the fall of 2012.
Rounding out phase one of the development are parcels E and N, both still in the design phase.
Along with Forest City's summer announcement that the Harris Teeter was a done deal at Parcel D, the developer revealed that two concepts - one being an artisan brew pub - will be crafted by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group for the Boilermaker Shops. NRG's concepts will share a roof with Buzz Bakery, Huey's 24/7 Diner, Austin Grill Express, brb (be right burger) and Willie’s Brew & ‘cue by Xavier Cervera, who is also remaking the Hawk 'n' Dove on Capitol Hill, and opening a pizzeria with raw bar in Southeast's Canal Park.
Also nearing completion in Southeast is a one-mile stretch of river-walk trail linking Yards Park and Diamond Teague Park & Piers. According to Ted Skirbunt with the Capitol Riverfront BID, the completion - next month - of this connection will create enhanced public access and enjoyment of the Southeast riverfront.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Braddock Gateway Residential Plan Gets Initial Approval
Labels: Alexandria, Jaguar Development, Rust Orling
Jaguar managing partner, Eddy Cettina, says that the next step, final site plan approval, will take place within the next 9 months to a year.
Although the entire Braddock Gateway development plan was approved in 2008, its developer laid low through the recession, and approached the City with amendments to Phase I in July. Preliminary approval of these amendments was granted by City Council on September 17th.
Phase I's acre-sized parcel is at the southernmost end of the development property, located 1000 feet from the Braddock Metro station.
Jaguar chose to lead with rental apartments on the site because "[i]t is the closet [building] to the metro, and will cater to renters who want easy transit access."
As a transit oriented development, the first phase will also include the construction (by Jaguar) of a "high capacity" bus/transit stop along First Street, just east of Payne Street, with a covered waiting area and LED touchscreen offering rider info.
Designed by Rust | Orling Architecture, the residential-and-retail building will vary in height from 50' to 150' - from 6 to 15 stories - with the tallest section being the central tower (the focus), which is flanked by "two lower shoulders," the eastern 6-story wing with pool deck, and the western 13-story wing.
During design revisions, the western wing was taken down by two stories in order to further stagger height overall, emphasize the "shoulder" appearance of the building, and better relate the design to that of the entire development, according to the city. The staff report, recommending preliminary approval of Phase I, stated the importance of the design review, "Given the site's strategic location... and the pronounced vertical nature... the 2008 development review process placed considerable importance on the quality of the architecture, as the site truly serves as a gateway into the historic portion of the City."
The first completed building in the development will be surrounded by 14'-wide sidewalks, featuring decorative brick and dotted with trees; pedestrian oriented street frontage will be built along Fayette Street. Open space included in the development will total 14,000 s.f., consisting of a 6,000-s.f. central green on the ground floor and a 8,000-s.f. roof top area. Two levels of underground parking will offer 243 parking spaces, with another 26 spaces located on a surface lot off of Fayette.
As for the rest of the 5-building development, "[w]e are concentrating on phase one right now," said Cettina, although she did confirm that the plan for the entire 7-acre development site has not been changed; the plan is for 770,000 s.f. of new development that includes 630 residential units, 70,000 s.f. of office and 15,000 s.f. of retail.
Patricia Escher, principal planner with the City Dept. of Planning and Zoning, offered that the development a considerable improvement to the site, currently holding two vacant warehouses and a surface parking lot. "The entire five phased development of Braddock Gateway will improve an underutilized portion of the City." The project, to be LEED certified, will also conform to Alexandria's green standards.
Escher added that "the first phase will be providing a combined total of $1.6 million to the City’s affordable housing fund, the neighborhood’s streetscape fund and [include] improvements to a local park."
Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news
Friday, July 22, 2011
FCP Plans Condos on Adams Morgan Infill Site
Labels: Adams Morgan, Altus Realty, Federal Capital Partners
The fully-entitled residential development site, adjacent to the adaptive reuse project (at 2329, 2335) (currently seeking a new owner) will be developed by FCP in conjunction with Altus Realty Partners. Of the sale, Altus principal Charlie Kehler said, "[w]e’re really excited, it’s one of the last infill sites on Champlain Street."
"We’re going to try to bring this to market as soon as we can,” stated Kehler, of the project which aims to begin construction in the spring of 2012. "We're interviewing architects [currently]." Once selected, the chosen architecture firm will design a complex offering "somewhere between 36 and 40 units, that will range from 500 to 900 square feet."
Of the location, Kehler added, "It's proven to be a strong market." He expects the condos to command "$550 to $600 per square foot." The $3.55 million sale was brokered by Scott Frankel of CBRE and Bruce Levin of MAC Realty Advisors. According to DCRA, WWYP LLC had purchased the property in June of 2005 for $1.9 million.
FCP is a local real estate investment company with over $2 billion in assets acquired since 2003. Altus operates out of Arlington and invests primarily in the greater-D.C. area.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Winner of President's Park South Design Competition
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
President's Park South, Designs Unveiled
Labels: national mall, National Park Service, NCPC
- Hood Design Studio, Oakland, CA, design features natural Ha-Ha barriers
- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Brooklyn, NY, design features avenue of Elm
- Reed Hilderbrand Associates, Watertown, MA, design features diverse tree canopy
- Rogers Marvel Architects, New York, NY, design features raised Ellipse
- SASAKI, Watertown, Watertown, MA, design features plaza
Thursday, June 02, 2011
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
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Planners Select 5 Firms to Redesign President's Park - DC Architects Not Invited
The idea is to create "durable and more aesthetic security elements in the President's Park South area and replace the existing temporary and unsightly security elements," no grand plans for new monuments. The area includes the parks bordering the southern fence of the White House, including the Ellipse and E Street, which has been closed to vehicular traffic for the past decade. Possibilities include reopening E Street to traffic (in true Washington fashion pending completion of a transportation study), but final decisionmaking rests with the Secret Service, which is generally inclined to close streets down rather than open them.
Pedestrians can enter the area to get to the fence surrounding the south lawn of the White House, but have to navigate security obstacles. Bill Dowd, Director of Physical Planning for NCPC cites that impediment as a prime directive for a new plan. "One of the biggest things we want to fix...is that pedestrians can get up to the fence but because of security barriers its very confusing how to get there."
The 5 firms selected are:
- Hood Design Studio, San Francisco, CA;
- Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, New York City, NY
- Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architects, Watertown, MA;
- Rogers Marvel Architects, New York City, NY; and
- SASAKI, Watertown, MA.
Washington DC real estate development news
Friday, March 18, 2011
Largest Residential Development in Years Breaks Ground in NoMa
Labels: Mill Creek Residential Trust, NoMa, Preston Partnership, Trammell Crow Residential
Formerly owned by Trammell Crow Residential, which had promised work was "imminent" at several points in the past, the land was transferred by two former principal partners who left Trammell Crow to join the Dallas-based firm. Financing was orchestrated through Berkshire Income Realty and PNC Bank. The site was purchased in 2007, at which point the developers adjusted the 2005 PUD to what amounts to the current plans.
"We are lucky to have weathered the storm that has halted so many development projects in the area and around the country," said Sam Simone, Managing Director of Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC. "We're also lucky to be developing in a city that's been as protected from the economic downturn as Washington, D.C."
Positioned at Eckington Place immediately behind the FedEx shipping center, within the NoMa BID, Q Street will run through the development (see map), allowing for the creation of a pedestrian thoroughfare between the three buildings, which "actually look like six, because we wanted to break up the elevation," said Simone.
Building 100 (for now, until it's renamed) offers warehouse loft designs while Building 200 features more glass and a modern feel. Building 300 is parsed in two parts: one offers traditional rowhouse architecture while the other riffs on the modern design of Building 200. Amenities for the complex include two pools, two club rooms, a media theater room, a small park, and e-lounge, not to mention a paltry 1250 s.f. of retail - downsized from the initial plan for 15,000 s.f. unveiled back in 2006. Simone anticipates the project will span three years to complete.
Development has been a musical chairs game, with owner CSX having selected Fairfield Residential to build the project in 2004, before handing off to Trammell Crow, with each successive developer intending to begin construction in the short term.
Washington, D.C. real estate development news
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Neighborhood Report: NoMa
Labels: J Street Development, NoMa, Skanska
Gillian Clark's Kitchen on K: Clark's new restaurant, inspired by her now-gone Colorado Kitchen is between four and eight weeks away from permitting. A bigger space and proximity to the Metro means Clark, now the chef at Silver Spring's General Store, plans on daytime and late night hours. In a nod to its progenitor, the menu will showcase French technique via comfort food favorites, as well as donuts during brunch her customers keep asking about. Opening dates? "Ideally spring, but there is no such thing as ideal."
On Skanska's NoMa Development: Sara Krouse of Washington Business Journal reported on the Skanska deal earlier this week, which Executive Vice President Rob Ward says is slated to become office buildings, hotels and potentially residential space. The 63,790 square foot property is located at 1st and M Streets N.E.
NoMa Living: The Loree Grand, which will house Clark's restaurant, was the first new residential projects in the area in over a century. Of the 212 residential units, 66% have been leased. Archstone also has a residential project underway, 469 apartments set for completion in late 2012.
Constitution Square: Of the 440 residential units in The Flats 130, 90 have already been leased since its opening late last year, with 19 new leases just in January. Also set to open in the area is Roti as well as the largest location of The Perfect Pita, which has leased space across from The Courtyard Marriott.
90K: Of the space that's primarily for offices, 50% has been leased. The 412,000 square foot office building also houses retail, which has yet to be claimed. Built by Clark Construction, designed by SmithGroup, the building is the newest office building by Trammel Crow Company.
111 K Street: Sales of J Street's corporate condo (pictured, right), initially fast, have stalled as buyers such as Sierra Club and YWCA have backed out.
50 Florida Avenue: This former Metro Ice warehouse just sold as a redevelopment project to B & B Realty Investments. "We are in the middle of contemplating what we want this space to become," said Rick Brown, a Principal of B&B. "We had a three to five year plan but recent growth in the area has prompted us to reconsider."
Washington DC real estate development news
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Your Next Place...
You know how when you buy a new pair of shoes, you almost don't want to wear them for fear of soiling their fresh-out-of-the-box perfection? That's how I felt as I stood at the threshold of this cozy Federal nestled on picturesque 35th Street in Georgetown's West Village. Everything about it, from the pristine white walls and furniture to the gleaming hardwood floors and clean lines, conveyed the impression of a place almost too nice to live in. Of course, if I had $799K lying around, I'd already be reclined on the sofa by the time you read this, gleefully spitting sunflower seeds onto the floor. But alas, not on a blogger's salary.
One enters into the bright living room, which is outfitted with a gas fireplace. Farther back is a dining area and a sleek kitchen. A spiral staircase leads up to the large bedroom, which has a closet so incredibly vast it could probably be rented to an intern as a bedroom. (Laugh if you will – I once rented a room that was almost exactly the size of a twin size mattress.) The bathroom (also commendably bright) boasts a large basin and a huge shower with clear glass doors, so you never have to worry about someone sneaking up on you with a knife while you shower. And finally the private semi-enclosed patio is perfect for having people over to subtly rub your success in their faces. And really, isn't that what home ownership is all about?
1257 35TH ST NW
1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$799,000
Monday, December 20, 2010
Your Next Place
I remember walking past this house years ago, on my way to Adams Morgan, and seeing squatters lurking in the driveway. At one point, I'm pretty sure it didn't even have a front door. Now it's been exhaustively renovated and you can grab the penthouse unit (pictured) for just under $1.5 million. I'd buy it myself, but I'm poor.
1841 16th Street NW #4
Monday, December 06, 2010
Dreyfus Tees Up Center Leg Freeway
Labels: Downtown DC, Louis Dreyfus Properties, Skidmore Owings + Merrill
What began decades ago as a horribly misbegotten idea by the National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) to create an Inner Loop within the District, an idea that birthed the Southwest Express and tore down swaths of historic buildings, relegating southwest DC for decades to woeful cementitious architecture and federal dependency, may at last be partially healed. The urban planning of the 1940's and 1950's fortunately never realized its goal of extending another half mile north and west, but left a chasm known as the Center Leg that isolated a section of northwest. Dreyfus plans to cover that scar burrowed deep into the city, not only building a platform on which a neighborhood can reside, but doing so while keep the highway operational throughout construction.
Plans have been knocked around for years, but tonight will mark a milestone for its advancement. Dreyfus intends to roof the highway from E Street to Massachusetts, extending F and G Streets to a now-isolated Georgetown Law School. The most recent development plans developed over the past month up the number of buildings from 5 to 6, increase retail visibility, and contemplate additional residential density.
The local ANC gave unanimous approval to the revised concept after developers agreed to "a good faith effort" to raise ceiling heights of retail spaces in the hopes of attracting classier retail, replaced a canopy idea bridging two buildings (ala Tech World Plaza, shudder) with a new building, and agreed to factor in more than the 150 planned residences. "They've been very good at addressing all the issues we've brought up" said Rob Amos, a Commissioner with ANC 6C. "They've been an exemplary developer. We wish more developers were like this."
A Zoning Commission approval would greenlight the project for purchase of the air rights from the city, a deal that is expected to net the city $60m. Developers would then build a separate platform for each of the 3 new city blocks, 247,000 of new "ground," in sum, beginning work on the buildings as each platform is finished. The plan allots 3 buildings in the north block (up from 2), 2 in the center block, and 1 in the south block. Each of the office buildings will rise the usual 12 stories, and developers are contemplating where to put unspecified additional housing at the behest of the ANC, a move it hopes will keep the area from vacating at night. "We're looking forward to putting those 2 pieces back together again" said Amos of the Berlin-style east and west sides of the highway, but added that it would be 2012 at the earliest before the project begins construction.
Years of wrangling came together in 1966 when construction of the freeway got underway, culminating in $81m in spending, 7.5 miles of flourescent tube lighting, and the dislocation of enough neighborhoods to do a Beijing bureaucrat proud. The cosmetic surgery to remove the scar is expected to cost well above $400m and drag on for at least another 3 years. Connecticut's John Dinkeloo & Associates is designing the buildings, while New York's Skidmore, Owings & Merrill is serving as master planner.
Washington DC real estate development news
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Perseid Adventures at 14 & W
Labels: Dorsky Hodgson and Partners, FLGA, Helmuth Obata and Kassabaum (HOK), Perseus Realty LLC
Recently queried on the matter, Cohen would only answer that Perseus is unwilling to comment on the status of the project. He asserted that no official date has been set for a groundbreaking, but revealed that "[w]e'll be ready to announce something in the next couple weeks." Whatever could that something be? Developers Perseus, and their partners on the project Capmark Investments LP and FLGA Real Estate Group, had at one point anticipated a 2010 delivery date (the project "broke ground" in September 2008). But the market-plunge has booby-trapped the finance game, understandably complicating the developers' pursuit of funding, and Capmark declared bankruptcy in 2009, making the thought of a 2010 start date a pleasant surprise. Complicating the matter is the requirement to deliver a turn-key YMCA. But with lending spigots reopening for DC's multi-family market, and a passel of multi-family projects in the offing up and down 14th Street, Perseus and its backers appear to have found the heart to build now. The already thin District budget does not have any available funds to push the project along, and have previously granted a generous 20 years of tax abatement and $1 million in forgone sales taxes on construction materials for the project.
Helmuth, Obata, & Kassabaum and Dorsky Hodgson & Partners provided the design for what several online commenters have called an underwhelming facade. The residential portion will rise six largely glass-paneled, rather-vanilla-flavored floors above 12,200 s.f. of ground floor retail space and 170 below-grade parking spaces. Although somewhat plain, the building does show potential for elegance, if it can acquire some of the stone and metal detailing that give appealing character to industrial buildings like the Central Union Mission, the Studio Theater, and the stylish car-showroom turned upscale Italian restaurant Posto.
Developers have promised that eighteen units will be reserved for families earning less than 60% of the AMI. The centerpiece of the development is the the new Anthony Bowen YMCA, a 44,000 s.f. recreational and community facility to feature a "pool, state-of-the-art cardiovascular and resistance equipment, group exercise studios, and a child care area." But for now, local residents will have to build endurance at nearby gyms or stick to in-house push routines, as the YMCA doesn't look to be redone anytime soon.
Update: If you haven't already noticed the reports from the comment thread below, the 14th and W redevelopment project was recently sold by a Perseus entity to Jefferson Apartment Group (JAG), an Akridge affiliate, for $7.5 million. JAG also brought the Rockpoint Fund to provide much-needed equity. Perseus will stay on as development partner, and construction is expected to start as early as December 1st.
Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News
Monday, November 15, 2010
An H Street Spring
The Steuart project will add 215 apartments above the Giant, along with additional retail space. Around it, development booms. The District just announced a 16-unit residential project by Wall Development at 12th and H that should kick off next year, and at the eastern end Clark broke ground on a 257-unit apartment complex in October, as did an Aldi supermarket destined for the starburst intersection next year. And the biggest project by far will be Rappaport's 400-unit residence that will fill H Street from 8th to 10th Streets, while Dreyfus' plans for Capitol Place, a 300-unit residence opposite the future Giant, are loaded and ready for the right moment. And the trolleys, of course, are on the way.
Things could have been so different. Just two years ago a New York team went bankrupt betting on H Street and lost their 432-unit building at auction. The Giant will sit on the former BP site, a plot that was intended to house an interstate truck-servicing megaplex. Akridge's dreams to connect H Street with downtown by burying the rail yard at Union Station haven't progressed, and the most consequential projects have not yet broken ground, so the volte-face is not guaranteed, but its looking like its going to be a big year for H Street.
Washington DC real estate development news
Friday, November 05, 2010
Carr Properties to Build Glass Box onto Corcoran Art Gallery
Labels: Carr Properties, Foggy Bottom, Hartman-Cox, HPRB, SmithGroup
Although some Corcoran staff may occupy offices in the new building, it will act and operate separately, generating lease revenues that will assist the Gallery in its effort to grow the collection and the College of Art's endowment. While operating separately, the structure is technically intended to be an addition, as original plans have always called for an expansion of the Gallery in this direction; the addition will be connected to the original 1890s building through a stairwell and partly cantilevered over the Clark Wing.
In August, the Corcoran Gallery granted Carr Properties a long term ground lease of the site on which developers will apparently build, own, and operate the new offices. Unless an extension is requested by Carr, if all the required public approvals are not secured prior to December 15th of next year, the lease will automatically terminate. The property's street address is 1700 New York Avenue, NW, fronting New York Avenue to the south and E Street to the north. Rising several stories above the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the top floors of the addition will offer panoramic views of the White House, the National Mall, the Capitol, and the various surrounding monuments. In addition to office space and a basement for storage, the expansion will also increase parking availability at the gallery, with three levels of garage set to sit below the new building.
The recently submitted designs by SmithGroup go in a much different direction from previously submitted plans. Hartman-Cox had received approval from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) and the Historic Preservation Review Board as far back as 1988, but never followed through on their plans for a 120,000 s.f. addition. Again in 2008, Hartman-Cox resubmitted similar renderings on behalf of the Corcoran Gallery, but HPRB called the firm's aesthetic of choice "clearly historicist, [and] perhaps more in vogue in the 1980s than at present," advising the architects to reconfigure the building's design so to more "clearly reflect its own identity and purpose." Smith heeded this advice with hopes that their starkly modern and minimalist stylistics will be better received by HPRB; but developers know that regardless of the outcome, a long road of applications and meetings and approval decisions lies ahead.
Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News
Monday, November 01, 2010
Of Branding and Behemoths
It survived decades of war, recession, a Great Depression, whispered and public liaisons (Studebaker-Packard Corporation, for one), changes in demographics and even a post-WWII employee in its Argentine division named Adolph Eichmann. But for all of its challenges, and to make it a true daily double, Alex, Mercedes-Benz remains the world’s oldest automotive brand still in existence.
In 2004, when the time came to gild the proverbial lily, and with something close to 1,000 automotive facility designs in the firm’s fight book, Chris Lessard, Lori Hall and Hernani Codera of The Lessard Group took Mercedes-Benz’s branding philosophies out for a test drive when they designed a 27,000 s.f. Old Town Alexandria, Va. dealership at 200 S. Pickett Street, one that embraced both the product and the neighborhood. And they did it again this year as the facility experienced a renovation in a mid-Atlantic salute to the brand’s progressive, industrial, high-tech German image.
“Auto manufacturers create branding books so when you go to different dealerships, you can identify with some of the elements in each dealership,” Lessard said, noting that Autohaus is Mercedes-Benz’s image and branding program. But in a storied venue like Old Town, where historical parameters govern building design, applying branding principles such as Mercedes-Benz’s steely facades can be like walking a diplomatic tightrope at best. “As a firm, we do a lot of other things, not just auto dealerships,” Lessard said, emphasizing that zoning and entitlement work often follow suit, though Alexandria is one of the “tougher jurisdictions.”
“We also had to present some renderings to the residents,” said Hall, who is the firm’s director of automotive facility design, because they, too, were concerned with how it was going to look. They wanted to know what their view was going to be.”
The Demise of Mini-Me
The structure, which was built essentially to swallow and to some extent incorporate a small, deteriorating mid-century Oldsmobile dealership on the site, is wood and red brick (think: ubiquitous northern Virginia) with traditional detailing and arched windows. But because the city’s saga’d image has evolved and become less restrictive in the last six years, and in compliance with Mercedes-Benz’s current identity that sanctions exposed steel, a blue arcade, silver panels and blue columns with chrome caps, the architects were able to integrate these elements into the renovation.
According to Lessard, Autohaus examines each dealership and estimates the level of business it’s going to do. “With that, they give a very defined programming requirement that they want to have appropriate service and waiting areas,” he explained, noting they are adding more bays in Alexandria to deal with the dealership’s service component. “It’s very prescriptive,” he said, “especially with Mercedes, where you’re getting the high level of service for the consumer that either buys or services a car there, or while servicing a car, looks at a new car.” To that end, according to project manager Codera, the Old Town facility will also be able to accommodate 580 vehicles, up from 520, when the renovation is complete. “In the 1950s, you had auto sites that didn’t have a lot of cars on them, but that’s not how it works today,” Lessard said. “You have to count every square inch of the site to make sure you can meet the requirements of inventory.”
Message in a Building
In Silver Spring, Md., a roughly 60,000 s.f. two-story Mercedes-Benz dealership at 3301 Briggs Chaney Road, that actually turns a corner, careens toward a March, 2011 delivery date with LEED Gold looming. “At the time we were designing it (first submission was in 2008, though construction issues stalled the process), LEED wasn’t really a factor,” Hall said, referencing the firm’s best practices standards. But with Montgomery County’s current mandate for all new commercial construction to meet LEED certification requirements, and actual construction beginning just this year, energy efficient lighting comprised of both LED and CFL’s is just one component of the glass and steel building which, by its nature, will also utilize natural light.
Trumpeting Mercedes-Benz’s perspective on precision and luxury, and branding elements such as exposed steel, black high gloss tile and “beam outriggers” that reinforce the German industrial machine look all withstanding, the psychology of the Silver Spring facility will involve what the automotive company calls its “triad,” where the service area and lounge, parts accessory boutique and the showroom are all visible from the middle of the building.
“If I’m going to get my car serviced, I’m going to want to sit in this beautiful lounge and enjoy myself, wander through to accessories thinking about whether I want to get a new keychain or new wheels, and while there, I can be looking at all the brand new cars thinking maybe it’s time to upgrade,” Hall explained. In fact, when a new car decision is made, the new car delivery area, painted an effervescent yellow, is sited so that a new owner and family can be somewhat isolated from the throng (think: sort of a private screening), but other customers can also experience the “bragging rights” of the new owner driving away. In the service lounge, according to Codera, customers can actually see their car being serviced through glass that abuts the service bays. “It’s a retail selling process,” Lessard said in summary, “whether you’re servicing or buying a new car – it’s making you feel happy whatever you’re doing and making you want to come back.”
Speaking to any perceived constraints of working within the parameters of branding specifications, Lessard maintained that while the auto manufacturer has certain standards, they are not always precise and do allow for creativity and change over time. “You can be part of that change,” he said, affirming that as an architect, he’s “not necessarily into social engineering.
“I’m really trying to make sure the building is servicing the needs of whoever’s using it, whether it feels good inside, or whether it encourages someone to do something. That’s what this firm is about, so branding actually helps me,” Lessard said. “It makes clear what the program needs to be, and I can improve on the requirements by making the building even better. It really reinforces the message.”
Bottom 2 photos of Mercedes-Benz Annapolis.
GW to Add Science Building and Go Solar
Labels: Ballinger Architects, Boston Properties, Clark Construction, Foggy Bottom, George Washington University, Hickok Cole
Although the city has not yet approved the science building, GW expects to start the $275m project within a year. The university’s project team includes Philadelphia-based Ballinger Architects, as well as Hickok Cole Architects, Boston Properties as the project manager and Clark Construction for pre-construction services, all of which are working on Square 54. The LEED-Silver designed building will double the space on the GW campus dedicated to science and engineering.
"The board’s decision to build the Science and Engineering Complex marks an important milestone in the development of George Washington into a world-class research university," said GW President Steven Knapp.
The science building, at the corner of 22nd and H streets, NW (see map, above), will feature two levels of below-ground program space, approximately 350 underground parking spaces and a retail venue on the ground floor along Eye Street.
At the same time, GW will implement "the largest source of on-site solar power in the District of Columbia," for "thermal" solar power, that is, not photovoltaic cells. The new solar thermal system will heat water for three residence halls, subtracting "about 70 tons of carbon annually," according to the school. The university intends to generate 10 percent of energy from on-campus renewable sources by 2040, and reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2025, and by 80 percent by 2040 when it reaches "carbon neutrality." The remaining carbon emissions will be "mitigated" through the purchase of local offsets, such as planting trees. "This is just one of the very fist steps we are taking" says Michelle Sherrard of GW, of the solar conversion.
Skyline Innovations, a one-year-old Washington D.C.-based solar energy company, will install the solar thermal units on Building JJ, 1959 E Street and Ivory Tower free of charge and sell the hot water the systems produce to the school for a fee tied to the price of natural gas. According to Aaron Block, Director of Market Development for Skyline, the company assures lower energy costs for the user with no start-up costs by guaranteeing a lower-than-market rate for energy, which it finances by retaining the renewable energy credits. That makes Skyline the number one provider of solar energy in DC (it subcontracts installation). GW won't reveal the amount that it saves with its thermal energy conversion.
The system works by converting sunlight to thermal energy via hot water rather than electricity. An array of rooftop panels collect solar energy and convert it to heat. A series of tanks in the basement loop into the rooftop collectors, a heat exchange allows the heat to be converted from the closed-loop system into the public water.
With all the new construction, the GW Hatchet reports that Foggy Bottom residents are angling for a new Metro entrance as the completion of Square 54 adds more users of the single-entrance Metro station.
Washington DC real estate development news