Project Description
2006 RADA
Multifamily / Merit
Located in a historic Washington, D.C., neighborhood where automobile showrooms were standard streetscape fixtures, Langston Lofts’ scale, rhythm, and materiality put a contemporary spin on the area’s industrial past. Our judges gave the project high marks for its “gorgeous detailing” and “highly articulated façade.”
The sleek finished project belies the complex engineering challenge the architects had to overcome. The building site is atop two subway tunnels, posing an enormous structural problem, says principal in charge Robert M. Sponseller, AIA. The design team resolved the issue by building a light-gauge-steel structure on top of a deep-foundation concrete plinth, parking garage, and first-floor retail space.
Large glass openings and balconies of perforated industrial mesh maximize light penetration into the 45-foot-deep units. Inside the lofts, bedrooms are raised, removing impediments to light and creating views over the kitchen.