COMMERCIAL
1771 N STREET NW REPOSITIONING Washington, D.C., USA
Rather than starting over, sculptural reimagination preserves the urban fabric and history of our cities. It’s also often the most economical and sustainable response to a client’s challenges. The design of 1771 N Street NW balances the reuse and reimagination of an existing structure to create a contemporary, trophy-class office building that respects its place in time while also responding to today’s commercial office market. The existing building housed the headquarters for the National Association of Broadcasters in the historic Dupont Circle district. Originally designed in 1967 by Mills, Petticord & Mills and renovated in 1995 by Koubek Architects, the concave geometric mass is beautifully framed by an open forecourt that opens to a vista along Connecticut Avenue. This inspired the idea of cladding the southern and western parts of the building with a scalloped curtain wall that organically opens up the previously solid corner and gives a new identity to this part of the neighborhood. On the southwest facade, the unitized concave glass curtain wall generates the illusion of a sculptural ripple effect on a curved form. Engineered as self-supporting, the glass curtain wall system has no vertical mullions. It also offers free and unobstructed views from the interior to the open plaza and neighborhood. The concaveshaped glazing unit is self-shading, reducing glare and solar heat gain. The new plaza design focuses on the creation of human-scale spaces, akin to “rooms in the garden” shaded by trees and enhanced by natural material. The building’s ground floor opens out toward the plaza. New glazing is set back to reveal a row of columns that strengthen the base of this sculptural composition. Contemporary workplace needs—including access to natural light, flexible layout, and energy-efficient heating and cooling—prompted several significant building updates. Use of a variable refrigerant fluid HVAC system enables the creation of nine-foot ceilings in tenant space, allows for a smaller equipment footprint and offers significant energy savings. Attractive interior and outdoor gathering spaces on the penthouse level offer dramatic views of the city.
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