ODA has completed a new multifamily structure in Washington, D.C.’s Navy Yard that comprises 465 apartments in a single square block. The project’s cascading facade creates a connection at the street level to provide the building with a transparent, approachable feel.
Dubbed West Half, the 10-story residential building includes unique apartment layouts that break the typical D.C. building mass into a more human scale that connects the indoors and outdoors and increases the amount of light and air. The floors are stacked on an inward trajectory that allows for ample outdoor terraces on the facade and an inner courtyard filled with cantilevered apartments.
Photo: Scott Frances.
A private rooftop lounge, designed by Venus Williams, provides views of Nationals Park. Terraces on the penthouse also provide direct sight lines to the ballpark. Because the project is highly visible from the stadium, the goal was to encourage richer, deeper, and more unified experiences for residents, tourists, and stadium-goers alike.
Photo: Scott Frances.
West Half’s interiors are defined by gently angled elements, minimalistic details, and a few tectonic finishes. The building’s indoor-outdoor connection is bolstered by interior elements such as the large indoor gym, which is exposed to the elements through an adjacent inner courtyard and the landscaped rooftop pool and resident lounge.
Sustainable strategies include cisterns that harvest water for the building’s irrigation and extensive green roofs that occupy 50% of the total roof area. The building has been LEED Gold certified. JBG Smith developed the project.
Photo: Pavel Bendov.
Photo: Scott Frances.
Related Stories
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 21, 2024
Massachusetts launches program to spur office-to-residential conversions statewide
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey recently launched a program to help cities across the state identify underused office buildings that are best suited for residential conversions.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 19, 2024
Jim Chapman Construction Group completes its second college town BTR community
JCCG's 200-unit Cottages at Lexington, in Athens, Ga., is fully leased.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 19, 2024
Two senior housing properties renovated with 608 replacement windows
Renovation of the two properties, with 200 apartments for seniors, was financed through a special public/private arrangement.
MFPRO+ New Projects | Mar 18, 2024
Luxury apartments in New York restore and renovate a century-old residential building
COOKFOX Architects has completed a luxury apartment building at 378 West End Avenue in New York City. The project restored and renovated the original residence built in 1915, while extending a new structure east on West 78th Street.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 18, 2024
YWCA building in Boston’s Back Bay converted into 210 affordable rental apartments
Renovation of YWCA at 140 Clarendon Street will serve 111 previously unhoused families and individuals.
Adaptive Reuse | Mar 15, 2024
San Francisco voters approve tax break for office-to-residential conversions
San Francisco voters recently approved a ballot measure to offer tax breaks to developers who convert commercial buildings to residential use. The tax break applies to conversions of up to 5 million sf of commercial space through 2030.
Apartments | Mar 13, 2024
A landscaped canyon runs through this luxury apartment development in Denver
Set to open in April, One River North is a 16-story, 187-unit luxury apartment building with private, open-air terraces located in Denver’s RiNo arts district. Biophilic design plays a central role throughout the building, allowing residents to connect with nature and providing a distinctive living experience.
Affordable Housing | Mar 12, 2024
An all-electric affordable housing project in Southern California offers 48 apartments plus community spaces
In Santa Monica, Calif., Brunson Terrace is an all-electric, 100% affordable housing project that’s over eight times more energy efficient than similar buildings, according to architect Brooks + Scarpa. Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the net zero building has been certified LEED Platinum.
MFPRO+ News | Mar 12, 2024
Multifamily housing starts and permitting activity drop 10% year-over-year
The past year saw over 1.4 million new homes added to the national housing inventory. Despite the 4% growth in units, both the number of new homes under construction and the number of permits dropped year-over-year.
Affordable Housing | Mar 11, 2024
Los Angeles’s streamlined approval policies leading to boom in affordable housing plans
Since December 2022, Los Angeles’s planning department has received plans for more than 13,770 affordable units. The number of units put in the approval pipeline in roughly one year is just below the total number of affordable units approved in Los Angeles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.
