PROJECT City of Rockville Police Headquarters
LOCATION Rockville, Maryland, US
PROJECT COMPLETION DATE 9/10/2012
ARCHITECT WGM
ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT
OWNER/CLIENT City of Rockville
CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Costello Construction
PHOTOGRAPHER Mostafa A. Fahimi, EyeConstruction, Inc.
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM Jeremy Kline, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Edward Masek, AIA; Natalie Chamberlain, LEED AP
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The Rockville Post Office was a Works Progress Administration Project completed in 1939, which ceased full-time operations in October 2006. The City of Rockville was offered the opportunity to obtain the property from the General Services Administration (GSA) under favorable terms for a Homeland Security/Public Safety use, and moved ahead with plans to acquire, preserve and adaptively re-use the building as the new City of Rockville Police Headquarters. Two separate historic commissions had purview over the project, including the Maryland Historical Trust and the Rockville Historic District Commission. Designed under the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, the project faced the unique challenge of accommodating the 27,000 SF police program within the roughly 9,500 SF building. To achieve this feat, a separate structure (the “Annex”) was introduced on the lot and linked to the historic structure via an underground tunnel. Extra square footage was added to the historic structure by enlarging the basement and introducing a new second floor under the existing high clerestory. Functionally, the historic building contains many of the administrative functions of the police program, while the Annex serves as the operational (24 hour) component of the on-site police program. High performance mechanical systems and a vegetated roof exhibit the City’s commitment to sustainable development. The exterior of the historic Post Office underwent a detailed historic restoration effort, including re-pointing and window restoration. While the majority of the interior of the historic building was reconfigured for the contemporary police use, the existing historic lobby and entry tower were restored to their former appearance. The lobby remains open to the public during regular business hours so that the space and historic painted mural on the south wall can be enjoyed by the general public. The most distinguishing feature of the historic structure is a two story hexagonal entrance tower. This element is reinterpreted at both the Annex entry, and at the new monument marker on the corner of West Montgomery and South Washington streets. The Annex tower respects the primacy of the original historic tower in both plan and elevation, as it is set back further from the street and is lower in height than the original. The material palette used throughout the project also seeks to reinterpret the historic paradigm. Recognizing the four primary materials present on the exterior of the historic post office (limestone, beige brick, copper cladding, and glazing), the proposed material palette also contains four primary pieces. These consist of a 12x24 building stone, beige brick, a weathered zinc cladding, and storefront glazing. New beige brick is not incorporated into the infill and additions to the historic post office, and is reserved for use on the obviously new Annex building. The material palette seeks to differentiate the new construction on site, while harmonizing with the existing historic materials and context. Overall, the project seeks to celebrate and respect the importance of this treasured historic structure while introducing the space, systems, and infrastructure required to support a modern day municipal law enforcement facility.
MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF
IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS
IMAGE 1 Rockville Police Department_high res ext, View of Annex Entry at Twilight, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 2 Rockville Police Department_high res ext, View of Annex Entry at Twilight, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 3 Rockville Police Department_high res int, Historic PO Lobby: Before and After, Jeremy Kline
IMAGE 4 Rockville Police Department - Historic PO - Southwest Corner - Twilight, View of Historic PO Southwest Corner at Twilight, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 5 Rockville Police Department - Historic PO North Facade, Historic PO North Facade: Restored, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 6 Rockville Police Department - Identification Monument and Tower, Identification Monument and Historic PO Tower, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 7 Rockville Police Department - Identification Monument with Annex Entry in Distance - Twilight, Identification Monument with Annex Entry in Distance - Twilight, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
IMAGE 8 Rockville Police Department - New Annex - Twilight, New Annex - Twilight, MAFahimi@EyeConstruction.com
City of Rockville Police Headquarters
Category
Local > AIA Chesapeake Bay > Non-Residential Architecture (AIA Chesapeake Bay) > Rehabilitation/Renovation (AIA Chesapeake Bay)
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