PROJECT Escher

LOCATION  Rockville, Maryland US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  6/15/2018

ARCHITECT  SK+I Architecture

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT/DESIGNER  

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Sami Kirkdil, FAIA – Head of Design; Jon Wallenmeyer, AIA – Principal-in-Charge; Josh Sliffman – Construction Administration

OWNER/CLIENT JLB

CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  

PHOTOGRAPHER  Max Zhang

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PARKER-RODRIGUEZ
CIVIL ENGINEER DEWBERRY
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TADJER-COHEN-EDELSON ASSOCIATES, INC.
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER SAME AS MECHANICAL
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  

The Escher was designed to invite and entice.

The Escher ushers in a more urban and enticing contemporary component to the underserved, yet, emerging Twinbrook neighborhood. It transformed a vacant 5.29 acre parking lot with an abandoned 35,000 square foot retail store into an inviting community for 317 new apartment residences next to a metro transit station. The makeover included a new “paseo” private drive created to form a signature public use space accessible to both residents and the public, producing a vista from Chapman Avenue and splitting the site into two parcels—2.88 acres for the Escher apartment building and 2.41 acres for a later second phase of 70 townhomes.

The corner of Chapman Avenue and the paseo was carved out to open up the vista down the common drive and the resulting public plaza is activated by the backdrop of a dramatic six-story glass wall, behind which, is visible the dynamic interior bridges connecting the corridors of the apartment building. The glass bridge denotes the location of the public entrance as well as provides a visual connection from the plaza to its large, landscaped courtyard beyond and was designed to entice and invite the public and tenants to explore both the building and its neighborhood.

The Escher addresses its site with a continuous build-to line creating a consistent street edge and providing a positive visual image to pedestrians and motorists. Chapman Avenue is improved with an enhanced sidewalk and streetscape as well as a new bike bath creating an improved business district road leading to the Metro. The ground level facing this street is lined with public realm oriented commercial and amenity spaces whereas the Paseo sidewalk is activated by direct access apartment units with their own individual entrances and stoops, similar to brownstones, correlating to the architectural language of townhomes. The Escher’s impact on its neighborhood is a transforming and pleasant public realm with inviting spaces that integrate trees, paths, gathering spaces and public art.

The Escher's massing and architectural elements help to define the main corner on Chapman Avenue. It's organized around two central courtyards designed as landscaped, sustainable amenity spaces. Two, seven-story, wooded planes break up the mass of the buildings as they slice through it at an angle and expose a skeletal, double-height, glass-encased lobby and three pedestrian bridges wrapped in aluminum and glass. The bridges are a dynamic component that connects activities and residents, provides views to and from the luscious, inner green courtyards, and—at night—are activated by polychromatic accent lighting. As one wraps around the building, the large scale is further broken down into sections through the use of various materials and facade finishes. Each section encompasses the rationality of a complete building, and once they are connected in a sequence, the overall composition has a rhythmic quality. Likewise, every corner has a strong identity articulated by wooden fins, blue metal panels, and balconies. The end result is an intimate street facade anchored by distinctive corner elements that serve as beacons for pedestrians.
 

JURY COMMENTS (If Applicable)

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project/Jury PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)

1. Exterior, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
2. Amenity Courtyard, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
3. Double-height Lobby, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions

4. Exterior, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
5. Exterior Detail of Entrance and Fins, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
6. Amenity Courtyard 1, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
7. Double-sided Glass Walkway, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions
8. Night Exterior Shot, Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions