DOUBLE VISION

July 27, 2023

by Catarina Ferreira, AIA

Construction at our mixed use building at 1400 9th St NW is finally picking up momentum. The initial phases of building facade stabilization, foundations and underpinning were technically difficult to accomplish and took several months to complete. Now, with framing nearing completion, the project is finally materializing and starting to look like a building , or is it two?

Located in the Shaw Historic District, the original building was built around 1850, making it one of the oldest (if not the oldest) contributing structures within the historic district. Vacant for decades and in poor condition, the building was nearing collapse when purchased at auction. The initial concept presented to the HPRB for review requested the demolition of the existing structure and replaced with an entirely new building. That concept was rejected, after board members visited the site and determined that the building could be salvaged. Then our job became a lot more difficult…

Typically, visible additions to existing contributing structures are not permitted. The project would not be viable without an increase in building area. Our second proposal to the HPRB, which underwent a smooth review process and was quickly approved, consisted of additions/alterations to the existing building, including a four story addition on the North side of the where a non-original structure previously existed. Conceptually, it made total sense. From a design stand-point, it seemed like an impossible mission. How could we create a coherent whole out of two such different parts? To complicate matters even more, the building occupies a corner site, making an alterations proposed very prominent. It also has no preferred orientation, and it seems that has always been the case. Is 9th St the front of is O St the front? It’s like it’s trying to be two buildings at once.

Sometimes the problem becomes the solution.

The European in me would have sought a clear distinction between old and new, so that was the starting point. However, in this case it was not just a matter of design a new building next to the old one. The original building required a significant amount of repair work and its 9th St elevation (the actual facade based on the building’s address) lacked coherence. Several poorly-designed alterations had been made over the last 170 years or so.

Sometimes the answer is not about black vs. white but rather shades of grey. The ultimate solution is a hybrid building that blurs the line between old and new just enough to make a passer-by do a double take. It looks like one building from farther away, like two up close. This allowed the integrity of the historic structure to be maintained, allowed us to propose a clean addition that is distinct yet compatible, and most importantly, one does not try to mimic/reproduce the existing building.

Often, in Washington DC, the tendency is to mimic the appearance of historic structures or to propose a slightly watered down version of them in order to try to achieve compatibility. That erasure of history, by replicating a historic language in the present, reduces the proposed and the original building to nothing more than their appearance. To me, architecture is about poetry, creating a rich experience by manipulating the grey zone, not about superficiality/appearance. Historic districts are first and foremost about a coherent atmosphere.

So how did we achieve a coherent atmosphere/ historic compatibility in this case?

My number one go-to strategy in historic district is always simplicity: simple massing, discrete character.
Then comes soul/personality: In this case, is it one building or two? It seemed important to maintain that duality. Also, a raw, slightly industrial aesthetic is proposed in both parts of the building. I feel this is compatible with the character of this particular historic district, where alleys are streets, carriage houses are homes, and just a dash of grit prevails.
Then comes continuity of materials: same brick color/size, same siding material on bay windows, same window color, despite different geometry/size.

Now that it has taken shape, the verdict is in: it is one building, but its also two at the same time, as has always been the case. Amazingly, I think it actually works!

Form Follows Thought

September 28, 2017

No offense, Mies, but in my opinion 'Form Follows Function' doesn't tell the full story. It's a powerful phrase, and it summed up the intent of design in the machine age, but it implies linearity in the design process. Mies' buildings are stunning works of art, and I would argue they were driven by more than function. After all, architecture is more interesting than pure engineering, in which form only follows function. I would argue that in architecture Form Follows Function and Function Follows Form, and it goes on and on like that in a somewhat circular fashion until the design problem is solved. Form and Function inform and reinforce each other. Although function certainly comes before form, recognizing the power of form and treating it as an equally important participant, and not merely as the result of function, can help to propel function itself to an entirely new level. That's how inventions come about, for example.

URBAN RUIN

September 30, 2015

post by Catarina Ferreira, AIA

While visiting a job site this morning we stumbled upon a nearby vacant building. Inside we found a cathedral of sorts: an almost empty shell, most of the floor framing removed, and the unique opportunity to experience a row house as a single volume with light piercing from various directions. The building will likely be converted to cookie cutter condominiums and the sublime nature of its current condition erased forever.

While we certainly have nothing against renovations, we wish there were more opportunities for maintaining some of the inherent beauty of these empty shells.

UGLY DUCKLING, GOOD BONES

December 6, 2014

post by Catarina Ferreira, AIA

It is not unusual for prospective clients to ask for advice regarding purchasing a home with the intent of renovating. Even though the project may not materialize for quite some time, assisting prospective clients in finding the right property can offer the opportunity to earn their trust and build a good foundation for the eventual project. Sometimes it leads nowhere; sometimes it leads to a dream project. One thing is for certain in this profession: don't be too quick to judge. Dream projects sometimes wear masks; projects that sound like a dream at first often don't materialize.

We are fortunate to have been able to assist a client recently in evaluating candidates for purchasing, in preparing a feasibility study to help them evaluate the potential of the frontrunner, and ultimately in purchasing the home. We are currently at the end of the schematic design phase.

So, what set this house apart from many others our client considered? Was it the obvious front-runner all along? Not at all. The house our clients eventually purchased was an ugly duckling with great bones, in a great neighborhood. That's a great combination of attributes. Undesirable homes (which in Washington are often mid-century designs), with good bones, and good zip codes make the best candidates for achieving your dream of owning a contemporary house. They often already have contemporary massing, open floor plans, large windows, and (sometimes) high ceilings.

Besides being an ugly duckling, this particular house presented a few challenges: the main level was what is typically a walkout basement, below street level, and the garage occupies a large portion of the front yard. On the positive side, it already had contemporary bones and proportions, so transforming it into a dream contemporary house for our clients was much less of challenge than if we were working with the typical Washington area front hall colonial even a standard split-level ranch.

The key to arriving at a desirable design solution was quickly identified: move the main level to the actual 1st floor of the house, lift the massing of the house to give it more curb appeal and more compatible with the height of its neighbors, and rework the entry sequence. Luckily the existing house is in good shape and about 50% can be renovated lightly while the remaining 50% will be largely rebuilt. The area being rebuilt contains the main living spaces and a new master suite, the other half bedrooms and bedrooms. New siding, windows, trims, roofing, clerestory windows over the front of the existing roofline, and wood slat screening will help to unify the two halves.