Located in the under-developed neighborhood of Anacostia in southeast Washington DC, Building 2345 clads two distinct volumes in corrugated metal and cement board to articulate each volume. The upper volume is slipped forward to create a cantilevered overhang. An acrylic “dome” skylight is used as a bay window on the Martin Luther King Jr. Ave façade.
On the ground floor, perforated metal is used to create a colorful moiré pattern from a utilitarian security door. The building houses a doctor's office which uses a bright green tiling panel to create a relief pattern in the waiting area.
The project folds a complex mixed-use program into a compact site, discovering unexpected potential in limits and constraints, transforming them into strategic advantage.
