Letter
Dear Lt. Cinq Mars:
In its public meeting of 20 April conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a second concept design submission for a new housing and support facility at the Marine Barracks Washington Annex, located at 7th and L Streets, SE. The Commission approved the concept design with the following comments, requesting that the project team consult with the staff in developing the design.
The Commission members expressed appreciation for the clear presentation of the proposal; they noted the responsiveness to their previous advice by eliminating the northwest corner tower and providing a more rational connection between the existing and proposed barracks buildings. Acknowledging the constraints of the site and program, they endorsed the overall massing and proposed design approach, derived from the character of the existing Annex complex; however, they continued to raise concerns about the visual impact of the project within its context and the experience of the enlisted personnel who would live there. They therefore recommended further development of the concept design in order to mitigate the perceived scale of the building through the refinement of architectural details, such as reducing the upper pediment and adding windows on the side elevations. Noting the Marine Barracks’s tradition of relating its buildings to a neighborhood context, they also advised revising the landscape on the north side of the addition with shade trees and other pedestrian amenities.
The Commission looks forward to further review of this project as a revised concept. Please continue consulting on the development of the design with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Lt. Alexander Cinq Mars
Public Works Officer
Marine Barracks Washington
8th and I Streets, SE
Washington, DC 20390-5000
cc: Julie Darsie, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command