Letter
Dear Mr. Jaroch:
During its meeting of 21 July 2005, Commission reviewed the concept design for the complete renovation of the Nassif Building (400 7th Street, SW) that currently houses the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The members understand that in the next several years, the building will undergo a complete renovation that will include the replacement of the existing exterior skin. While the proposed planning for the project does much to maximize use of the site, particularly at the ground level, the Commission members said that the proposed facades were unneccessarily complicated with many architectural elements and recommended simplification of the elevations. After some discussion about the impracticality of preserving the original marble and glass skin, they suggested that the new design should retain some of the character of Edward Durell Stone's design for the building.
The Commission looks forward to seeing further development of the designs for the building. As always, the Commission staff is available should you require further guidance.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas Luebke, AIA
Secretary
Timothy D. Jaroch, Senior Vice President
David Nassif Company
195 Worcester Street, Suite 301
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481-5556
cc: David King, SmithGroup David J. Varner, SmithGroup