Letter
Dear Mr. Marootian:
In its meeting of 16 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept design for alterations and additions to the D.C. Department of Transportation materials testing facility, located at 350 McMillan Drive, NW, adjacent to the McMillan Reservoir. The Commission members approved the general concept for the proposed facility with the following recommendations for further development of the design.
In their overall support of the design approach, the Commission members recommended that the composition of the new additions and the historic pump house be refined as a series of individual volumes or pavilions linked by a glass connector defined by a consistent horizontal datum extending behind each articulated volume. They also suggested less contrast between the proposed facade materials and those of the historic building, providing a greater formal cohesion among these elements and greater compatibility within the context of the historic McMillan Reservoir complex. Regarding the design of the landscape, they recommended that the site plan be further developed, particularly the relationship of the parking lot to the walkway and entry plaza in order to better complement the historic building and to give clarity to pedestrian movement.
The Commission looks forward to reviewing a revised concept submission that addresses these recommendations. As always, the staff is available to assist you with development of the proposal.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Jeff Marootian, Acting Director
D.C. Department of Transporation
55 M Street, SE, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20003
cc: Wasi Khan, D.C. Department of Transportation
Rachel Chung, DLR Group