Letter
Dear Mr. Sanchez:
In its meeting of 18 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a revised concept submission for an addition and alterations to the Moultrie Courthouse at 500 Indiana Avenue, NW. In their support for extending the conceptual materiality and massing of the original limestone building, the Commission members recommended the development of Option Three as shown in the project booklet dated 18 November 2010.
The Commission members emphasized the underappreciated strength of the existing building, whose architectural logic of additive masonry volumes may be best continued in the recommended option. They noted that Option Three (as shown in the submitted booklet but not presented at the meeting) provides more potential than the others in relating to the existing building, particularly in its reiteration of the two major masses of the building along C Street, as well as in its expression of depth and substantiality of the limestone cladding material at the window openings.
The Commission requested that a revised landscape design be developed as part of the next submission, responding to this design direction for the proposed addition, and that additional views showing the whole building be included in order to understand the new addition in its context. These views should include perspectives of the complete elevations of the existing building and of the addition, especially as seen from the open spaces along the 4th Street corridor.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with the next submission.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Joseph E. Sanchez, Jr.
Capital Projects and Facilities Management Officer
The District of Columbia Courts
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001-2131
cc: Michael Kazan, Gruzen Samton
Roger Courtenay, AECOM