CORE spearheaded a full historic building renovation and expansion for Arizona State University in Washington, DC.
As Design Architect, CORE renovated and expanded the historic structure at 1800 Eye Street NW, which was purportedly the first concrete and masonry residential building in DC. Named "Ambassador Barbara Barrett and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Washington Center at Arizona State University," the 8-story LEED Silver building enables the university to consolidate its DC office, teaching, and event spaces. A major goal of the redevelopment was to maximize the building’s footprint, which posed several significant challenges. Large, bearing-masonry chimneys, that could not be removed without major structural work, took up valuable interior square footage, while a back courtyard further reduced the usable space on the small lot. The lower floors were at split-levels from the exterior sidewalk grade, impeding building accessibility. With approval by the Board of Zoning Adjustments to increase the FAR, the courtyard was in-filled for 100 percent lot use. By underpinning and excavating a new basement, the expanded design added roughly 3,600 SF of new space, allowing for necessary building utility and storage spaces. The ground floor was reconstructed to level with the sidewalk grade, while the remaining FAR square footage was used as a new story on the roof. The modern 8th floor addition is stepped back from the historic façade, creating an outdoor terrace that wraps two sides of the building. The setback was a requirement of DC Historic Preservation to distinguish the modern addition from the original building. Visually and physically expanding the smaller 8th floor interior footprint, a cantilevered, retractable corner glass wall was designed to optimize the corner views downtown and blur the indoor and outdoor distinction.
Photography: Alan Karchmer
