International Architecture Awards Tell a friend

Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC.
Lead Architect: Doug Hocking
Associate Architects: FOX Architects Associate
Architect Lead: Derek Wood
General Contractor: Harvey Cleary
Client: JBG Smith
Photographers: Sam Kittner, Jeff Goldberg, ESTO

Rising above its surroundings, 1900 N Street spans an entire city block while maintaining a ‘light’ and elegant appearance. 1900 N Street serves as a gateway to Washington D.C.’s central business district. The transparent triple-height entry hosts an inviting lobby, while, internally, the building maintains a floor plate that is perfectly suited to its law firm tenant and allows for greater density within a restricted massing envelope. Ground-level retail space activates a commercial streetscape, parking is provided below grade. Encased by translucent glass curtain walls, the primary volumes seem to ‘float’ around the building’s defining sculptural element—a red truss exoskeleton. The truss stretches 120 feet in two equal sections at the top of the building. Shifting behind the curtain wall, its function is to suspend the nine floors below, allowing for a column-free plaza that opens the building’s lobby at the corner of 19th and N Streets.

The rooftop atrium and adjoining greenspace offer an unparalleled panoramic view of the capital. Landscaped terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows blur the line between the interior and exterior, an aspect complemented by a unique low-temperature air system that furthers a sense of welcoming the outside in. A commercial success, the project was recently sold for $265m, with the new buyers saying “1900 N Street is one of the best properties that you can buy and own right now.” Building heights in Washington D.C are capped, with most commercial offices squeezing 12 stories into the height allowance, 1900 N is atypical, designed with 11 stories to allow greater floor-to-ceiling heights for improved employee well-being. As we switch to a world of hybrid working, 1900 N represents the future of the office – a place that builds community, offers the best urban experience, and is worth the commute.