GSA Brings the Class and Glass
14 02 2008Down in SW by L’Enfant Plaza the new Constitution Center and the HUD building always seem to get all the attention. Well the folks at GSA have obviously been getting jealous and wanted a little attention for themselves. According to a tipster, the historic F Street headquarters building is ready for a makeover!
The project’s design approach includes a focus on sustainable design principles to make the best use of the natural features of the building to promote energy efficiency. For example, the relatively narrow wing design, which was necessary in a pre-air conditioning age for natural ventilation and day light, serves the design team well in incorporating more modern natural lighting technologies into the project. Of course they are going for a silver LEED rating.
However most of the changes, including the large glass enclosure, will not be visible from the street and will preserve the facade of this building which is on the National Register. We like it, and in such an eclectic area of town, it’s nice to have some classic designs intact.
How absolutely tasteful, which is surprising for GSA!
I wouldn’t hate so much on the GSA. It’s not that they’re not usually tasteful, they just tend to be too conservative all the time. We need avant-garde! GSA, ARE YOU LISTENING!?
Yeah but sometimes their attempts at avant-garde end up looking like the ATF headquarters building!
i can’t remember where i read this, but a famous architect designed the building, and the ring of concrete around the front really are architectural elements - not barriers. the barrier is a tiny stone wall a the bottom that looks like the one around the national monument.
i’m actually surprised we don’t have more of these behemoths that were constructed during the fascist bush regime.
maybe when obama takes office, we’ll have some innovative architecture to reflect those times….
wait, this area of the city is eclectic?
poopy,
Moshe Safdie designed the ATF headquarters and with the exception of “the see through suspended hefty bags at the top.” I actually quite like it myself.
I bet that Mr. Safdie intended for the inner part of the circle to be public space and the gov’t put up a fence for security reasons. If that space were in fact open to the public I think it would be a rather striking urban place once that area became fully developed.
yes! that’s him!
you’re probably right.
either way, it is SOOOO much better than what there was there before.
i think that it will live up to what safdie expected.
it may take ten years, but it’s another architectural milestone for the area.
i kind of like it too.
i drove past the retail portion yesterday.
there’s a coffee shop and a deli opening up right by the NY AVE. metro stop in the next few months. which i’m digging, cuz i live two blocks away…
i wonder if ibiza will be able to stick around, not that i’m a clubber or anything…
ibizadc.com