DC Water Headquarters

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A prime example of the ways\nin which architecture can be both beautiful and functional in pursuit of\nsustainable building practices, this new LEED Platinum-certified headquarters\nfor Washington, D.C.\u2019s sewer and water utility reimagines a water and sewage\ntreatment facility and returns its landscape to a functioning ecosystem.\nDespite the challenges presented by site, budget, and critical existing\ninfrastructure, the team found opportunities to deliver an elegant building\nthat provides an architectural nexus for the surrounding neighborhood. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"DC Water serves\napproximately 680,000 residents, 21 million visitors who flock to the district\neach year, and more than 700,000 workers with water, sewage collection, and\nsewage treatment. While the utility\u2019s wastewater processing facility is\ncentrally located, its offices and administrative buildings were sprinkled\nthroughout the region, sometimes in leased spaces. This project originally\narose from DC Water\u2019s desire to consolidate its workforce in one location. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u0022The intelligent use of\ntools on many different levels for this project has led to a cohesive whole.\u0022 \u2013 Jury Comment"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The utility already\noccupied a site on the Capitol Waterfront, one of DC\u2019s burgeoning neighborhoods\nclose to public transportation service and accessible by bicycle. Among its\nfacilities were a series of buildings that included an attractive Beaux-Arts\npump station built in 1907 and a more utilitarian pump station from the 1960s.\nDC Water maintained the two pump stations but negotiated the transfer of its\nunderused land and parking lots to the city for future mixed-use development. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The new headquarters is\nbuilt above the 1960s station on a narrow wedge of land that sits in the\nAnacostia River floodplain among a flourishing mixed-use neighborhood. Through\nthis project, what was once an unflattering industrial area is now a showcase\nfor innovation for DC Water. The new headquarters features a ground-floor\npublic exhibition space that details the sustainable and resilient elements of\nthe building and site as well as the utility\u2019s operations. An adjacent\nesplanade welcomes groups seeking to explore the regional ecosystem, and an\nexisting boardwalk along the riverbank provides pedestrian access to the south.\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cThe intelligent use of\ntools on many different levels for this project has led to a cohesive whole,\u201d\nnoted the jury. \u201cAll architects should carefully examine this project when\nseeking to incorporate sustainable best practices into their work.\u201d"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"A carefully articulated and\nlayered curtain wall encapsulates the headquarters, optimizing views,\ndaylighting, and energy. The team employed parametric modeling to enable a\nhierarchy of glazing, metal panels, and punched windows that correlate to the\nsun exposure on each building face. Along the south facade, each floor extends\nbeyond the floor below it to create a series of overhangs. A second layer of\ntinted-glass panels in select areas further reduces heat gain. "]]],[1,"blockquote",[[0,[],0,"\u0022All architects should carefully examine this project when\nseeking to incorporate sustainable best practices into their work.\u0022 \u2013 Jury Comment"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The team prioritized ease\nof circulation throughout the building and added a heightened sense of\ntransparency, which allows views of the new landscape. The landscape itself\nincludes several strategies that capture, absorb, and filter stormwater runoff.\nOn the headquarters\u2019 roof, sculptural landforms evoke the Anacostia River\u2019s\nlandscape while supporting a wide array of native and adopted plants. A\n40,000-gallon cistern collects and stores rainwater that is used for irrigation\nand 100% of the headquarters\u2019 toilet flushing. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"An innovative wastewater\nthermal recovery system, employed for the first time in a U.S. office building,\nreduces the building\u2019s energy use for heating and cooling by nearly 50%. In the\nwinter, it captures heat from flowing wastewater and serves as a heat sink in\nthe summer. Heat is transferred between wastewater piping and a separate\nclean-water loop that terminates at a heat-recovery chiller inside the\nheadquarters. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This new urban icon is a\nunique place that optimizes the staff experience, building and site\nfunctionality, and sustainable best practices. In doing so, it also serves as a\ndynamic catalyst for the economic development of its neighborhood. "]]]]}