DC Metrocentric

We got word this morning from the Smithsonian Institute that 6 finalists have been selected to compete for the final design of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The list of teams is a who’s who in the architecture world and includes starchitects such as I.M. Pei and Norman Foster. Construction is slated to begin in 2012 once the final design is selected.

Pictured is a site plan rendering of how the new museum will fit into it’s place on the National Mall, but we will be sure to bring you each teams designs as they finalize their visions. Having seen some of the preliminary work already, we imagine there are going to be some pretty exciting final designs.

[Rendering: Louis Berger Group]

The winter weather has been pretty gloomy lately, but yesterday through the snow covered buildings of downtown was a wonderful sunset. Looking across Franklin Square is always a great view but this convergence of perfect light, timing, and a little HDR makes this a truly Great Shot.

[Photo: Sean Robertson]

A bi-weekly take on the area from our friends at UrbanTurf.com 

McMansion, R.I.P.

As the economy recedes, energy prices fluctuate, and consumer products become ever greener, it seems that the era of the McMansion may be over. The U.S. Census Bureau has released statistics confirming what many had already predicted: Americans are buying smaller homes. Both the average and median size of homes on which construction started in the third quarter of last year declined.

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Well the new administration is here but aside from a few new windows, the new restaurant Policy on 14th street, is not. We spoke to the developers eight months ago and they were targeting the end of 2008 for completion. They still maintain the plans are moving ahead, which we are happy to hear, but the resaurants website still says it’s opening in January, which ain’t going to happen.

We have been really excited for this project, not only to have a new restaurant in the area, but also for the amazing restoration and build-out we are expecting from the folks at CORE Architects. These are the same people behind Mie-N-Yu in Georgetown which has got one of the most interesting interior restauarnt designs we have ever seen (that birdcage booth?). Hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer to check Policy out! 

[Photo Credit: M. V. Jantzen]

Chavez Charter School Construction - The Charter School on Kenyon Street is finally getting started on the renovations they have been talking about for what seems like years. Prince of Petworth was on the scene and it looks like some heavy machinery is on site and in action, though a 2009 completion is questionable. [PoP]

It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were talking about all the work going into the construction of the inaugural stages and stands around town. Now that the crowds have dispersed and the inauguration is over, the stands are coming down, including the one in front of the White House where Obama kept toasty warm and watched the parade.

Hope they don’t throw away all those building materials and are able to find some ways to reuse them. [Photo: Michael Deangelis]

It’s been a while since we last checked in with the development along Constitution for the expansion of the headquarters for the American Pharmacists Association. Given the buildings prime location and proximity to the Monuments (it’s one of the closest building to the Lincoln Memorial), it’s fitting that the design of the addition by Hartman-Cox Architects (pictured) fits the classic look of the Federal city.

The main building is after all a National Historic Landmark, so it would be sacrilegious (and illegal) to mess with the look. The building was originally completed in 1934 by architect John Russell Pope who also designed the Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art. The exterior work is almost entirely complete now on the addition and it should be completed in the second half of this year. [Rendering: Hartman-Cox]

Do you like walking around DC taking pictures of every little architectural detail and new construction project going up? Do you have a Flickr account teaming with shots of our area you want to share with the world? We are looking for a photographer to expanded our coverage around town. Oh and we are looking for an Intern too. 

Details and requirements after the jump…

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Now that the American History Museum is back open, and all those inauguration tourists have left town, it may be a great time to head downtown and checkout some of the permanent exhibits at the NMAH. For a little bit of an architectural twist, we recommend “Within These Walls” up on the West side 2nd floor.

The main part of the exhibit is a Georgian-style, two-and-a-half-story timber-framed house and happens to be the largest artifact in the entire museum. Before joining the museums collection, the house stood for 200 years at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, about 30 miles north of Boston. The house and the exhibition that surrounds it tell the stories of five families who lived there over the years and the contributions they made to American history.

In addition to the meticulously preserved architectural details of the building, there are also pieces of period furniture on display. It is definitely worth checking out along with the numerous other permanent and rotating exhibits and the stunning new interior.

[Photo: Clio1789]

We have spent considerable time on this site rallying against any and all new projects that have potential to be block killers, but something we haven’t spent much time on is the buildings out there that already are blights to our cities streetscape. We submit to you the Bennder Bender Building along 18th street.

This building is one of the few left downtown that has above surface parking on the first three floors topped by offices (a feature common in Rosslyn). The green shrubbery along the corner does little to detract from the horrible whitewashed concrete latticework, not to mention the dangerously huge curb cuts.

Once these things get built there is little that can be done, which makes it all the more important to make informed decisions on new building plans when they are in the design phases, otherwise we will be stuck with more Benders! 

What do you think?

[Photo: DCMetrocentric]

Check out what the angular two tower glass design by architects Krueck + Sexton is going to look like once complete. The first building at 1100 First Street NE is currently under construction and will be completed by the second quarter of 2009, with the second tower slated to begin next year. The design is definitely subtle, with a shift in volume outward along the angled axis. Its twin, which will be built immediately to the north, mirrors this subtle shift in massing.

The architects are targeting LEED Gold certification for the two buildings and the entire NoMa neighborhood is part of the USGBC’s LEED for Neighborhood Development pilot program which means all new buildings will have to strive for high sustainability.

We know it’s just another glass clad office building but this one has just enough movement from the angles to make us like it. Plus we only wish our office had the natural lighting that the floor to ceiling windows on these type of buildings afford!

[Rednering: Krueck + Sexton ]

The National Association of Realtors sends word that total home sales in the US advanced 6.5 percent in December from November. Despite these advances, the average price of a house did drop 15.3 percent compared with December 2007.

Locally though we are doing better than the rest of the country with increases in sales of 7.4 percent and declines in value of less than half the nationwide average. Anyone want to call the market bottom? It seems like houses are finally starting to hold their value again.

[Photo: NAR HQ in DC by Danny Fowler]

Have you seen this structure? This building on stilts is apparently somewhere in Southeast DC, but we can’t for the life of us find anyone who knows where. The bigger question though is what exactly it is? The threat of flood doesn’t look to be imminent, plus there is no door or stairs up? Anyone have an idea?

[Photo: Mississippi Snopes]

A bi-weekly take on the area from our friends at UrbanTurf.com 

Fearless Investors: DC Gov to Auction of 30+ Houses Next Week

The DC government will hold an auction next week to unload more than 30 residential properties around the city. However, to call some of these properties fixer-uppers would be generous; many of them appear to be completely uninhabitable, boarded-up shell houses. On the other hand, a few of them have the potential to be restored into beautiful row houses. Photos of the best and worst after the jump.

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