Letter
Dear Mr. Armstrong:
In its public meeting of 20 February conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a concept submission for the conversion to residential use of an existing 11-story office building at 450 5th Street, NW (case number SL 25-057) facing Judiciary Square. The Commission approved the concept and provided the following comments for the development of the design.
The Commission members expressed appreciation for the effort to convert this office building into residences within this primarily institutional and commercial precinct. Acknowledging the challenges of adapting the building’s existing large floor plates for residential units, they commended the inventive and sustainable building reuse, characterizing the proposal as a thoughtful and elegant approach to accommodate alterations and additions that embrace the original building design intent. Noting the proposal to retain much of the existing precast skin while adding metal curtainwall elements, they recommended further development of the transition details—such as at the interior courtyard corner conditions along the east and west facades—to resolve the articulation and planar relationships between these systems. They suggested salvaging and reusing the existing modular precast panels where possible. Regarding the landscape along 5th Street, they raised concerns about the trellis structures, which they said appear awkward and unrelated to the architecture, and they requested further study of their character, scale, placement, programming, and relationship with the adjacent ground-floor residential units. They added that the use of these structures for retail along the sidewalk could activate the public space, serving building residents as well as the general public. They encouraged developing a more robust landscape design, particularly on the east front, such as with a double row of trees along 5th Street.
The Commission looks forward to further review of this prominent project. Please continue to consult on the development of the design with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Peter Armstrong
The Georgetown Company
500 Park Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10022
cc: Megan Mitchell, Eric Colbert & Associates
John Marcolin, Lee & Associates