House of Lebanon is Approved and Designated as a DC Landmark

House of Lebanon (Former Margaret Murray Washington School) Designated as Landmark

The Margaret Murray Washington School (27 O Street NW), built in 1912, will be designated as landmark in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. Cunningham | Quill Architects plans to restore the building and modify the site to create affordable housing for the District of Columbia. Recently approved by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board on September 29th, the "House of Lebanon" Project will also have multi-purpose recreation and meeting spaces. To learn more about our approvals process, visit our Outreach Approach, or see DC HistoricPreservation for more information on the historic designation and approval of this project.

Roanoke City Market Opens To The Public

On September 3, the Roanoke City Market re-opened to the public with an Open House ceremony.

Exterior of the Roanoke City Market

Originally built in 1922, the building had hosted meat and fish purveyors in a traditional market environment. In the mid-1980s, the market became an international food court, dark and uninviting. To restore the building to its early grandeur as a destination in Downtown Roanoke, Cunningham | Quill Architects began the redesign of the market in 2009. After a year of renovations, the market building is now a light-filled center that incorporates the traditional market feeling with modern vendor spaces. The building also contains non-food vendors, making the market a center for activity throughout the day.

Interior Market Space

The Maples Gains Approval

Restoration and New Construction Approved for The Maples

Cunningham | Quill's restoration and adaptive reuse project in Southeast DC, which dates back to 1796 and was formerly known as Friendship House, is currently being featured on the District of Columbia's Historic Preservation Office website. The DC Historic Preservation Review Board approved final conceptual plans for the restoration and new construction at The Maples (619 D Street SE) on April 28, 2011. To learn more about our approvals process, visit our Outreach Approach, or see DC Historic Preservation for  information on their approval of The Maples.

Roanoke City Market

With the Roanoke City Market set to open Labor Day weekend, a reporter for the Roanoke Times was given a sneak peak at the nearly completed building. Cunningham | Quill Architects has worked on the historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the historic market building for the last two years.

One of the dramatic transformations has been the Assembly Hall. Once structurally unsound and poorly lit, the Assembly Hall is now ready to welcome the public again.

Assembly Hall Before

Assembly Hall After. Image Appears on the The Storefront.

To read the full post on the Roanoke Times website, see Inside the Roanoke Market Building.

Sustainable Preservation: Something Old, Something New, Something Green

In March, at the National Building Museum’s “For the Greener Good Series,” Maria Casarella, AIA of Cunningham | Quill Architects took part in a panel discussion with Brendan Owens, VP of LEED Technical Development at USGBC, and Eleni Reed, Chief Greening Officer at GSA to discuss how Historic Preservation Concerns can be Integrated in Sustainability Rating Systems and Regulations.

In continuing the professional movement towards Sustainable Preservation, Maria Casarella, an appointed member of the Washington, DC Historic Preservation Review Board, gave a presentation on this topic at Design DC along with Steve Callcott, the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer of the DC Historic Preservation Office.

It was an opportunity to educate fellow practitioners about the best methods of evaluation for preservation and green strategies. Several Cunningham | Quill projects were included in the presentation as case studies for sustainable preservation in Washington, DC.

Our design approach thoughtfully integrates historic preservation with the most effective sustainable technologies available. We hope to share with you case studies of our completed and in-design projects that speak to Sustainable Preservation and good building practices in the future.

For the full presentation at Design DC see below for Something Old, Something New, Something Green, or visit the DC Historic Preservation Office for more information on Sustainability in the District of Columbia.

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: 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.