15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Mount Rainier Mixed-Use Town Center Development Plan (Week 15)

Located at the northeast entrance to Washington, DC, the City of Mount Rainier, MD was interested in improving its urban environment. In an effort to develop a new community-supported vision for the City that was founded on current and projected economic and market analysis, the CQA team (Bolan Smart, Gorove/Slade, R. McGhee & Associates, and Urban Advantage) designed the Mount Rainier Mixed-Use Town Center Development Plan. The Plan looks back to the city’s history as a successful mixed-use neighborhood, using a fine-grained approach, preserving buildings and inserting new infill structures.

Rendering of Rhode Island Avenue

The design process began with multiple site tours, interviews, and stakeholder meetings. A series of charrettes and community meetings were held throughout the process to ensure public participation and involvement.

Community Workshop & Charrette Session

Envisioning the area as a vital, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use town center with a special focus on the city’s artistic, historic, and environmental traditions, the final development plan includes implementation strategies, draft form-based code development/design guidelines, and transportation, land use, and sustainable infrastructure recommendations.

The Mount Rainier Mixed-Use Town Center Development Plan has received strong city, county and community support. Serving as an example of how historic neighborhoods can overcome past disinvestment and plan for a brighter future, the plan is currently being adopted as a prototype for other historic town centers in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Illustrative Plan

The Mount Rainier Mixed-Use Town Center plan has received two AIA Awards for its excellence in Master Planning and Urban Design, and has also been featured in Urban Land Magazine.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Northern Neck House (Week 14)

Front Elevation with Screened Porch

The Northern Neck House is located in Westmoreland County, Virginia, overlooking a quiet inlet of the Potomac River. To create a connection to the waterfront and its wooded surroundings, the design of the house utilizes glass, screened walls, and wood panels that provide privacy for the clients. A screened porch serves as an outdoor gathering space with views of the entire site.

Screened Porch

Open Guest Rooms with View

The two-story house creates an open living arrangement for two, while flexible enough to accommodate several guests comfortably. A large hallway and over sized door openings allow the first floor to function as a large open suite, while telescoping pocket doors on the first and second floors can be closed to create additional guest rooms.

Rear Waterfront Elevation

The wooded two-acre lot dealt with several challenges including site access, topography, existing wetlands, and working with the Chesapeake Bay Act guidelines for setbacks and environmental protection. To minimize environmental impact and maximize energy efficiency, the house was oriented as a result of solar and wind analyses. In addition, design elements such as deep overhangs and passive ventilation were used to create an energy efficient structure.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: The Clayborne (Week 13)

Located at the gateway entry to the City of Alexandria in the south end of the historic district, this mixed-use residential and retail project completes the master plan for an existing retail center.

The Clayborne, in the background, completes a Mixed-Use Neighborhood.

The building occupies the west half of a city block, and was created as a series of discrete structures with varying treatment of mass, scale and architectural detail. Inspired by the urban fabric of Old Town and neighboring garden apartment typologies, a center four-story manor house is flanked by three-story townhouse buildings with porches and intimate garden courtyards to maintain the scale and articulation of the adjacent residential streetscapes.

Varying mass, details, and entry ways break up the visual scale of the building.

The building includes 74 apartment units and 2,400 sf of ground floor retail. The varied design of this project retains the retail and restaurant presence of the neighborhood.

New retail space and apartments above merges with the residential side.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: The Alta (Week 12)

The Alta facing towards Thomas Circle in Washington, DC

The Alta is located in downtown Washington, DC on 14th Street in the exciting neighborhood of Thomas Circle. The 13-story, concrete frame high-rise building has ground floor retail, 126 residential units on 12 floors, and four levels of below-grade parking.

Living Room

This residential tower is distinguished by its modern finishes. Landscaped terraces on the rooftop and second floor serve double-duty as “green roofs” and community amenities for residents, while expansive windows, exposed ductwork and tile floors create a spacious and clean environment within the heart of Washington, DC.

Second Floor Community Room and Green Roof Terrace

The Alta was the first LEED Certified multi-family condominium building in the District of Columbia. It has since been recognized with multiple American Institute of Architect awards. The Alta has been published in Urban Spaces and Architecture DC.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard (Week 11)

View of the Winemaking Facility and Restored Barn and Silo from the Northwest Elevation.

Located on the Agricultural Reserves in Montgomery County, Maryland, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard  returns a Historic Bank Barn and Silo to agricultural use by producing superb, handcrafted wines within a new, state-of-the-art Winemaking Facility.

Metal and Glass Facade allows an element of Transparency into the Winemaking Process.

The new metal and glass facility is partially banked into the earth and faces onto a new forecourt, emitting a soft glow at night from within the glazed fermentation room as a beacon for the Vineyard, while the renovated barn includes public and private tasting areas as well as winery offices. The winery has been featured in the New York Times, and has received five American Institute of Architects Awards.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Herndon Senior Center (Week 10)

View of Motor Court and Multipurpose Room.

This community center for senior citizens serves as an important resource for the Town of Herndon, Virginia and surrounding Fairfax County. The Herndon Senior Center is the link between an existing senior housing community and the Herndon downtown Fortnightly Neighborhood (master plan by Cunningham | Quill Architects and Oculus Landscape Architecture).

View to Second Floor Rooms and Activity Spaces.

Designed for the Fairfax County Redevelopment & Housing Authority, the 23,500 SF Center includes a commercial kitchen and dining facility, a library with computer workstations, a gym, arts & crafts activity space, billiards and other game rooms. To promote community interaction within the Town of Herndon, the large multipurpose room is ideal for civic functions.

Front Facade.

In 2006, the Herndon Senior Center was recognized with the Virginia Recreation and Park Society Award for Best New Recreation Facility in the state. It was also awarded two American Institute of Architects Awards, and a Fairfax County Award for Excellence in Design. The community center was also featured in Inform Magazine in 2007, highlighting the creation of an "urban and social junction" with the community.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Huntfield Mixed-Use Master Plan (Week 9)

In the early 2000s, Cunningham | Quill Architects led a master planning effort for the design of 996 acres in Charles Town, West Virginia.

Huntfield New Neighborhood Illustrative Plan

Within the county’s urban growth boundary and adjacent to several important George Washington family homes, the Huntfield Master Plan draws heavily from local character and history for the design of this plan. Proposed as a residential and mixed-use master plan, the site would be established as transit-oriented development, connecting Huntfield with downtown Washington, DC via commuter railway.

Aerial Rendering of Huntfield Master Plan showing Commuter Rail Station

The plan reflects principles of smart growth: compact design; directing development toward existing communities; a mix of land uses; pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with parks, civic buildings and retail. In addition, a proposed open space system connects to downtown Charles Town to its future historic trail system.

First Neighborhood of Huntfield, Charles Town already Completed

Following months of interactive public meetings, Jefferson County voted to support the new plan and eight months later, Huntfield was annexed into the City of Charles Town. Portions of the project have already been completed, with other parcels still under construction.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: The Mather Building (Week 8)

Setting a precedent as the first conversion of a downtown office building into multi-family residential housing, The Mather Building Studios is a unique landmark in the District of Columbia. Originally built as an office building in 1917, it was later converted to academic use in 1967 by the University of the District of Columbia, and then abandoned by 1989. In 2001, The Mather Building began its revival with the help of Cunningham | Quill Architects.

Full View of Building from G Street NW showing Rooftop Penthouse.

Detailed historic research helped restore the gothic revival terra cotta facade to its original condition. The building conversion into a mixed-income, multi-family residential space provides affordable housing for artists as well as market-rate condominiums.

Side by side view of Terra Cotta Brick Mapping and Restored Building.

The building also contains the Gallery at Flashpoint and the Coors Dance Studio on the ground level as well as a new rooftop penthouse that provides spectacular views of the National Mall.

The Gallery at Flashpoint contains a contemporary art gallery, a 75-seat theatre, a dance studio, and office space.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Quarry House (Week 7)

When a house looks just as beautiful nearly ten years after completed, you know two things. One, the house has a great home owner. And two, there must be a great architect behind the design. The Quarry House is a great example of this.

Driveway through the House on Steeply Sloped Site.

Located on a steeply sloping wooded lot, this house embodies a program that is as unique as its site. The house is tailored to both the work life and social life of the owner, a professional photographer, and has three major components: a bedroom wing, a photography studio with an office, and a spacious living area for entertaining. The composition of the house was driven not only by programmatic requirements, but also by specific site features. Because of both the topography and the wide setbacks on two sides, the lot defied traditional suburban development. The design approach was unconventional and required thoughtful placement of the three main volumes.

Photography Studio

The bedroom wing aligns with an old quarry road to the south, while the photography studio is at an angle parallel to the north property line and is partially nestled in the earth. The glass living room suspended between the two solid pieces commands a view of the street, the woods, and the entire surrounding neighborhood.

Living Room

The Quarry House has won four American Institute of Architect Awards, and has also been published numerous times. Most recently, it was published in Washington Life magazine. For the article and recent photos, see Picture Perfect.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Glass Bridge (Week 6)

Located on a rolling two-acre site, this rambler had been remodeled and enlarged five times in its forty-year life. The owners wished to resolve awkward floor plan, while adding two new bedrooms for their children, a new Master Suite, an office, a recreation room, and an updated kitchen. An existing Music Room and award-winning cabana were to be retained.

Glass Bridge at Dusk with Exterior Courtyard.

To bridge these new elements with the original house, we extruded the original roof form over the new volumes. The Music Room was extended to create the new office and receive the roof. A new interior gallery is the core of the plan and provides ample display space for the owners’ extensive art collection. The new bedrooms are arranged around the gallery and an exterior courtyard that allows light and air into the interior. A glass block enclosed spiral stair bridges the volumes and connects the main floor with the basement.

Gallery Space that connects Bedrooms.

In 2002, the Glass Bridge received a Renaissance Award from Remodeling Magazine; and in 2003, it received a Renovation Award from Residential Architect.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Park Hill Condominium (Week 5)

Located in Upper Northwest, Washington, DC along Connecticut Avenue, this condominium building brings a modern architectural vocabulary to an established neighborhood.

Park Hill at Dusk

Responding to the masonry apartment buildings that form the street wall along Connecticut Avenue, Park Hill’s two brick and cast stone “bookends” anchor the building. A metal and glass facade rises eight stories between these bookends, culminating in a collection of forms that comprise the penthouse, a lantern-like volume that offers commanding views of Downtown Washington, DC.

Typical Unit Interior

The building’s graduated massing preserves the streetscape, while creating twenty-nine luxury condominium units, whose free-flowing interiors and modern elements introduce a new typology of urban living.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Potomac Yard Master Plan (Week 4)

Potomac Yard in Alexandria, VA was abandoned for more than ten years, while unsuccessful efforts were made to plan the former railroad switching yard. In 1998, the property’s new owner selected Cunningham | Quill Architects to spearhead an interactive community design process.

Alexandria Portion of Potomac Yard Master Plan  |  Alexandria, VA

CQA led an interdisciplinary team in developing a master plan that achieved a new vision for Potomac Yard. After 20 community outreach meetings held over 16 months, the team gained consensus on a new master plan. The success of uniting the community led to a unanimous vote of approval by the City of Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council on the Potomac Yard Master Plan. The Potomac Yard Process provides a framework of engagement built on effective communication with the community.

Lee Quill leading one of the community outreach meetings that led to the plan's success.

The new infill plan created 5 compact, mixed-use and pedestrian-focused neighborhoods and town center focused on transit stops.  A connected open space system links a network of smaller neighborhood and new larger city-wide parks throughout the plan, which locates residents within a 5-minute walk of any major park. Informed by the historic street and grid patterns of the adjacent Old Town and Del Ray neighborhoods, the street and block pattern provides neighborhood-serving retail and a major town center at the north end of the site. Higher density commercial and residential buildings are located near existing and potential transit stops, while taller buildings are placed along major street corridors and within the town center.

Rendering of Residential Street in Potomac Yard

The Potomac Yard process received extensive recognition as a model for engaging communities. It was the subject of one of the first EPA Smart Growth Speaker Series lectures at the National Building Museum, and it has been written about in numerous publications including Planning Magazine, Urban Land and Inform Magazine.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: National Media Corporate Headquarters (Week 3)

From early on Cunningham | Quill Architects has taken a sustainable approach to design through adaptive reuse. For the National Media Corporate Headquarters located in Alexandria, VA, this advertising, publications, and public relations agency wanted to establish a new headquarters space in a former industrial warehouse.

National Media. Image appears courtesy of Calloway Contracting, and was found in the Public Domain.

The plan for this commercial adaptive reuse project involved modifying the existing 37,400 sf warehouse to respond to the site constraints. The building is restricted by a zero lot line on the north and east elevations. In order to maximize occupiable space, the design turns the constraints into an opportunity by creating an open work environment with the use of interior and exterior balconies, curtain walls, and terraces. These features bring light into the space and create views of the nearby park and historic Old Town.

Multi-Purpose Lobby. Image appears courtesy of Calloway Contracting, and was found in the Public Domain.

The project responds to the agency's creative culture and desire for an interactive, high-tech office environment. By exposing the building's structural and mechanical systems, enclosing the conference room  in a curved wall of glass to offer views of the entire second floor work area, and incorporating a large multi-purpose lobby area to double as a flexible space for promotional gatherings, the design creates a central open space ideal for interaction.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Art Loft (Week 2)

Today we feature Art Loft, located in McLean, Va. This house was is a post and beam “Deck House” built in the early 1970s. The new owner loved the location of the house, but found the interior to be dark and dated with inadequate display space for her extensive art collection. Cunningham | Quill transformed the interior, remodeling its finishes and modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms.

Art Loft featured on Remodeling Magazine cover in 1997

A simple palette of white oak floors, white painted drywall and cabinets, sandblasted glass, bluestone, and new lighting complete the renovation. The new modern interpretation and finishes provides a classic, yet contemporary backdrop that highlights the client's art.

"The Gallery" of Art Loft

For a new firm, the recognition this project received meant a great deal. Art Loft not only won AIA DC's Washingtonian Residential Design Award for Distinctive Residential Architecture, but it was also featured in The Washington Post Home Section and on the cover of Remodeling Magazine after winning their award for Best Project of the Year.

15 Projects in 15 Weeks: Cibo Restaurant (Week 1)

One of our earliest projects was Cibo Restaurant in New York City.

Located in the Daily News Building, a National Historic Landmark, the restaurant was designed to reflect the grand character of the building and its surrounding professional community of advertising agencies, attorneys, and architects. In collaboration with the Owner and the Chef, we designed Cibo as an architectural complement to the rich yet uncomplicated flavors of the Mediterranean food.

The Bar at Cibo Restaurant.

A curving membrane wall separates the service/kitchen areas of the restaurant from the dining rooms and bar. Interior finishes and fabrics seek to complement the natural materials of the architecture while warm, low-voltage lighting highlights the Tuscan color of the interior elements.

Entrance to the Main Dining Room.

To learn more information about Cibo Restaurant or view more images, please visit Cunningham | Quill Architects.