PROJECT Modern on M

LOCATION  Washington, District of Columbia US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  12/1/2018

ARCHITECT  SK+I Architecture

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT/DESIGNER  

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Jon Wallenmeyer, AIA; Dennis Connors, AIA; Dr. Abed Benzina; Christine Haven, AIA

OWNER/CLIENT Mill Creek Residential

CONTRACTOR/CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Mill Creek Residential

PHOTOGRAPHER  Max Zhang; David Madison

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Land Design
CIVIL ENGINEER Bowman Consulting
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Tadjer, Cohen, Edelson Associates
MECHANICAL ENGINEER SSA Engineering
ELECTRICAL ENGINEER SAME AS MECHANICAL
CONSULTANT Interior Design: Carlyn & Company; lharlow@carlynco.com
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SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT  

The LEED Silver, multi-family housing project is situated in Southwest Washington, DC, and acts as a gateway to the recently revitalized waterfront and activates a long overlooked community—one of the last to be redeveloped within the city. The site—bound by K Street to the North, 6th Street to the west, M Street to the south, and a private alleyway to the east—already contained two concrete and glass towers designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. Outside of renovating the two existing towers, the team was challenged to design two new 8-story towers that reactivate the streetscape and respond through contextually sensitive design to the iconic mid-century architecture. Taken together, the four buildings create an urban campus that spans a full city block and provides more than 1,000 housing units, a community courtyard with lush green parks, and vibrant retail integrated into the renewed fabric of the city.

The new towers, each holding approximately 230 units, are comprised of two stepped masses that respond to the existing, mid-century towers and the streetscape. The first tower takes on a taller, lighter, more slender form that is supported by a spacious, recessed ground floor with exposed metal-wrapped columns along the primary streets and corners. The second tower is a more subdued lower mass that matches the height of the existing buildings.

An important design strategy was to not only visually connect with the mid-century architecture but also with the surrounding area’s historic presence. Therefore, the facades between the new and existing buildings were setback and tapered to allow for generous views. The new towers feature contrasting light and dark metal panels and stagger two-story fenestration to create depth, hierarchy, and vibrancy that evokes a more contemporary, mid-century feel.
 

JURY COMMENTS (If Applicable)

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project/Jury PDF

IMAGES (Captions and Photographer Credit)

1. Full Exterior View; Photographer: David Madison, © 2018 DavidMadisonPhotography.com
2. Vest-Pocket Park; Photographer: David Madison, © 2018 DavidMadisonPhotography.com
3. Double-height Lobby; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC

4. Exterior along M Street; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC
5. Exterior Facade Detail along M Street; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC
6. M Street Entrance; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC
7. Lofted 1-Bedroom Units; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC
8. Rooftop Terrace; Photographer: Max Zhang, IRIS22 Productions, LLC