2175 K Street NW
- Challenge
- Solution
- Impact
Challenge
2175 K Street NW is prominently located on Washington Circle and serves as a gateway to the city’s commercial corridor. No longer functional and efficient for modern workplace needs, this 30-year-old building faced two options: recycle the structure into a new building, or raze it entirely. We transformed 2175 K Street into a new, sustainable state-of-the-art facility — while 75% of the building was occupied by tenants. An additional challenge was that 70% of the existing facade needed to remain in place.
Solution
Our team created a Class A signature building through blending new and old systems. We increased the building by three floors to add 33,000 gross square feet. A unitized glass and metal curtain wall system comprises the new facades, as well as a state-of-the-art solar system that screens the existing façade and provides passive solar shading. We created a new façade design, main lobby, core elevators, building systems, and core restrooms.
Impact
Our design solutions utilize long-span steel construction for the new floors, eliminating interior columns. Carbon fiber strengthens the existing structure, while exterior aluminum louvers on the façade offer solar shielding. These louvers provide continuity across the existing and new façades, expressing a unified design across this recycled building. By sustainably transforming the existing building, we reduced waste and demonstrated how we can revitalize the built environment for our present needs, even as buildings remain occupied.
- Year 2009
- Size 135,000 SF /33,000 SF Expansion
- Certification LEED® Gold Certified
- Location Washington, DC
- Discipline Architecture
- Types Build to Suit, Building Recycling, Building Renovation, Corporate Commercial, Developer Driven