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    Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group create “floating” classrooms for Johns Hopkins University

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    New York-based studios Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group have completed the renovation of an academic building for Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC with “floating” classrooms at its core.

    Called the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center, the 435,000-square-foot (40,400 square metre) building will serve as an interdisciplinary educational and event centre for the university and the public.
    Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group have renovated an academic building for Johns Hopkins University. The photo is by Jennifer Hughes.Located at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue, the 10-story building was designed to evoke a “democratic society”, with a large central atrium that contains conference and classrooms seemingly suspended in its core.
    A central staircase doubles as seating and sits at the base, while multiple floors span upwards and contain a number of classrooms and event spaces.
    It will serve as both an education and event centre for the university and the public. The photo is by Jennifer Hughes.”The design is focused on multiple gathering spaces that can shrink and grow to accommodate every type of convening, from an intimate policymaker breakfast to a teeming global conference,” said interior architect Rockwell Group.

    “A large floating transparent classroom and treehouse-like, stacked assemblage of glass classrooms and open lounges hang, suspended on either side of the atrium, providing vistas of the Hopkins community at work and evoking the openness of academic inquiry in a democratic society.”
    The team updated both the interior and exterior of the building. The photo is by Jennifer Hughes.Rockwell Group worked with exterior architect Ennead Architects and architect of record SmithGroup to renovate the interior into a “vertical quad”, distributing 38 classrooms, a library, a multimedia studio, 26 study rooms, three floors of conference centre space, workspaces, a banquet hall, a fitness centre and a 375-seat theatre around the building’s central atrium.
    Ennead Architects, then Polshek Partnership, previously built the building in 2008 for the Newseum before undertaking its current transformation for Johns Hopkins University.
    The team opened up the interior to create a “vertical quad”. The photo is by Alan Karchmer.16,888 square feet (1,586 square metres) of outdoor terraces were also added to the exterior.
    “As architects, it is a rare opportunity to revisit an earlier design and reimagine it for an entirely new purpose,” said Ennead Architects design partner Richard Olcott.
    Suspended classrooms hang in the interior of a central atrium. The photo is by Alan Karchmer.”Major interventions include the complete reworking of the vertical circulation to suit the needs of the complex academic program, numerous realigned floors, and structural transfers to accommodate classrooms and a completely reconfigured auditorium.”
    “The new central spaces will create a nexus of activity throughout the day and evening, offering meeting, classroom, lounge and gathering spaces of varying types and scales, and blurring the traditional boundaries between them.”
    A floating unit at the centre of the atrium contains classrooms and workspaces. The photo is by Jennifer Hughes.The exterior was also refinished to reflect the architectural language of the surrounding buildings such as John Russell Pope’s National Gallery of Art and IM Pei’s National Gallery East Building.
    Pink Tennesse marble wraps around a newly installed, central glass curtain wall with horizontal sunscreens trimmed in bronze and copper.

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    The sunscreens provide protection from heat gain, while Ennead Architects shifted facade elements to bring more daylight to the space.
    Rockwell Group outfitted the interior palette to include a warm mixture of wood walls and panels, terrazzo tile floors, brick and wood floor tiles and accents of an earthy red, blue and grey.
    Warm wood panelling, terrazzo floors, and accents of an earthy red complete the interior. The photo is by Alan Karchmer.”The Hopkins Bloomberg Center is a holistic example of everything our studio is interested in – creating an urban environment within the larger structure, gathering spaces within larger spaces, and a sense of place that is defined in part, by adaptability and use,” said Rockwell Group founder David Rockwell.
    “How people move, interact, and meet is at the core of every inch of the building.”
    Elsewhere, Ennead Architects recently completed a research facility at the University of Oregon, while together, Ennead Architects and Rockwell Group recently created a food distribution centre in Brooklyn.
    The photography is by Jennifer Hughes and Alan Karchmer. 
    Architect: Ennead ArchitectsInterior architect: Rockwell GroupArchitect of record: SmithGroup

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      Colleen Healey combines old and new for historic DC house renovation

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      Colleen Healey Architecture has revamped a home on a radial lot facing Washington DC’s Logan Circle, retaining historic details while updating the spaces for contemporary living.

      The renovated eight-bedroom house fronts Logan Circle, one of the city’s grand rotaries that connects several major avenues, created as part of engineer Pierre L’Enfant’s original masterplan.
      During the renovation, brick walls and floor joists were exposed to contrast a contemporary kitchenDue to its location, the lines of the building’s plan are subtly radial and therefore none of its walls are parallel to one another.
      This proved a challenge for local architect Colleen Healey, who had no choice but to embrace this and incorporate the unusual parameters into the design.
      A garden room was created at the rear of the building, where sliding glass doors open onto a patio”The effects of the radial lot not only informed design decisions, but provided inspiration for rounded references and other geometric subtleties,” said the studio.

      Built in 1883, the home’s three-story front section once comprised an entry hall, living and dining room on the ground floor, an owner’s suite and two spare bedrooms on the first floor, and two further bedrooms on the second.
      Since none of the walls are parallel, wooden flooring was laid diagonallyThe rear section is set at half levels and features smaller rooms and lower ceiling heights.
      “Much of the original elements and bones of the house were in great shape and our clients desired a mix of historic charm and modern upgrades,” said Healey.
      Rooms at the front of the house, which have taller ceilings, retain many of their historic detailsThe back portion received the most attention during the renovation, remade as the “heart of the house” where a large kitchen features a U-shaped quartzite counter and a garden room faces the patio.
      Skylights were created in the roof, allowing light to wash down original brick walls and through gaps between wooden floor joists exposed above the kitchen.
      In the bedroom, a fireplace was sacrificed in favour of a headboard and art wallSince the walls are positioned at angles, wood flooring was laid diagonally in this area.
      An arched opening between the two sections of the house was extended to 10 feet, allowing a powder room and storage space to be added behind its plaster surfaces.

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      “A new finished lower level and existing bathrooms are upgraded with a mix of vintage and industrial charm, blending tastes of both clients and using elements original to the house whenever possible,” Healey said.
      The upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms retained their dark wood window trims and shutters, baseboards and ornate fireplaces, but are refreshed with bright white walls and contemporary light fixtures.
      The bathrooms also feature a mix of original details and new industrial-style fittingsHowever, in the primary suite, the fireplace was removed to make way for a widened headboard and art wall.
      In the remaining rooms, items belonging to the clients are combined with mid-century furniture and minimal lighting to contrast the historic details.
      The house was built in 1883 and faces onto Washington DC’s Logan Circle”The result is a modern sensibility that unites the old and new spaces and creates a striking juxtaposition with the home’s architecture,” the team concluded.
      This isn’t the first time that Colleen Healey Architecture has worked with an atypical lot. The studio previously restored and expanded an early 20th-century carriage house in Maryland, on a site shaped like a smoking pipe.

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      David Chipperfield Architects designs minimal Akris boutique in Washington DC

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      The Milan office of David Chipperfield Architects has designed a minimalist boutique for fashion brand Akris in Washington DC, featuring pleated walls and displays suspended from thin wires.

      The store in the US capital is the first execution of a new retail concept created for Akris, a family-run fashion house founded in Switzerland in 1922.
      The Akris store is located on I St NW in the US capitalBrothers Albert and Peter Kriemler, the grandchildren of founder Alice Kriemler-Schoch, collaborated with David Chipperfield Architects Milan (DCA Milan) on the concept that debuted in DC, and has since also been applied in Tokyo.
      “DCA Milan’s design intent for the project was to enhance the materiality and fine craftsmanship of Akris collections through a solid, three-dimensional architecture associated with a light display system, defining a space where carefully chosen materials take centre stage,” said the design team.
      The boutique debuts a new design concept for the brand’s retail spacesLocated downtown, a few blocks from the White House, the boutique is lined with white-painted maple panels arranged to look like fabric pleats.

      These panels wrap three walls and also cover the ceiling, giving the impression of a room within a room.
      White-painted wood panels form pleats across the walls and ceilingGrey limestone flooring, large cylindrical columns and other surfaces continue the neutral colour palette, providing a backdrop for the brand’s bright clothing and accessories.
      Shelves, clothing rails and mirrors are suspended from thin cables connected to the ceiling or high up on the wall panels.
      Mirrors and rails are suspended from thin wiresInfluenced by the work of Italian artist Bruno Munari, the taut wires form subtle lines across the pleated panels.
      “The design references Bruno Munari’s tensile spatial structures, whose fundamental nature lies in the contrast between two opposing forces: tension and compression,” DCA Milan said.

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      To partition the space, large sheets of stainless steel mesh hang from the ceiling. Anodized aluminium counters create a flow of movement around the store.
      Ivory-coloured horsehair – a material long associated with Akris – is used on the fitting rooms walls and ceiling along with grey felt furniture, while wool carpet covers the floor.
      Lighting is hidden with the shelving displaysSpotlights installed on ceiling tracks are directed at specific products and other lighting is hidden in the shelves.
      Overall, the interior is designed to be subtle and restrained, to keep focus on the items for sale.
      David Chipperfield Architects Milan collaborated on the design concept with Albert and Peter Kriemler, the grandchildren of Akris founder Alice Kriemler-SchochBritish architect David Chipperfield founded his eponymous firm in 1984, and it has become best known for cultural venues like Berlin’s Neues Museum and Mexico City’s Museo Jumex.
      But the studio, which has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai, also has past experience in luxury retail with projects including the New York headquarters for watch brand Rolex and a minimal Montreal boutique for fashion label Ssense.
      The photography is by Alberto Parise.

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      Snarkitecture designs Manifest “self-care” club in Washington DC

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      Design studio Snarkitecture incorporated tiled walls and arches into a club in the US capital that offers a barbershop, a coffee bar, a boutique and a speakeasy.

      Open to the public, the Manifest club occupies a slender, four-story building in Washington DC’s Adams Morgan neighbourhood.
      Manifest is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden wallsMeant to put “a sophisticated spin on self-care”, the club was conceived by the entrepreneur KJ Hughes, along with his partners Brian Merritt and Susan Morgan.
      The aim was to create a distinctive location where people could get a haircut or beard trim, grab an espresso, buy upscale streetwear and enjoy a cocktail.
      Tiled walls and arches were incorporated into the clubThe owners turned to New York’s Snarkitecture to design the project.

      “When we set out to design Manifest, it needed to be a new kind of barbershop, inviting to all people,” said Alex Mustonen, a firm partner.
      Snarkitecture added a barbershop to the project”Simultaneously, we wanted to create a sanctuary, a community space, an institution, a one-of-a-kind experience that still feels like home,” he said.
      Set back from the street, the Manifest building is entered through a courtyard lined with wooden walls.
      The studio used a largely restrained palette of materialsThe outdoor space is adorned with pockets of greenery and curved concrete benches. At the base of the benches are illuminated reveals made of LED strips with an acrylic diffuser.
      Inside, walls are clad in white tiles, and the floor is covered in large-format cement squares. For the millwork, the team used white oak with a natural finish.
      White oak was used for the millworkThe barbershop – which encompasses four stations and an area for washing hair – is fitted with chairs wrapped in buttery leather. The coffee bar features a counter with a fluted wooden base and a terrazzo top.
      In the retail zone, clothing by brands such as Engineered Garments and Homme Pliseé is displayed within arched, wooden niches. The store also sells apparel from Manifest’s own line, Of US.
      Chairs wrapped in leather feature in the barbershopStretching across the ceiling are wooden beams with embedded LED strips – a design element that contributes to the interplay of straight and curved lines in the space.
      “Unifying details throughout the space include archways – which are meant to represent the sloughing off of the old and moving into a new phase of life – while linear elements symbolise a sense of community and connection,” the designers said.

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      A “secret staircase” leads up to the speakeasy, which seats up to 30 guests. In contrast with the lower-level space, the bar has a moody atmosphere.
      Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster, and floors are finished with dark-stained oak. Seating areas are adorned with green velvet banquettes and leather chairs from Nikari.
      The speakeasy has a moody atmosphereOverhead are arched forms that help create a sense of intimacy while also drawing a visual connection to the arches in the lower level. The arches are finished with mosaic green tile and safety glass with wire mesh.
      Throughout the club, Snarkitecture aspired to create an environment that was both comfortable and stimulating.
      Walls are sheathed in a custom green plaster”Every single element was designed to create a welcoming, intimate atmosphere that will invoke conversation and appeal to all the senses,” the team said.
      Later this spring, Manifest will expand to include a rentable apartment with a retractable glass roof and a terrace.
      Throughout the club, the atmosphere was designed to be both comfortable and stimulatingThis is not the first project in Washington DC by Snarkitecture. In 2018, the firm created a Fun House installation in the National Building Museum’s great hall that featured a white gabled house and a kidney-shaped ball pit.
      Other projects by the studio include a shop for streetwear brand Kith within a Parisian mansion, and an installation in a Manhattan gallery that consisted of 168 white spherical orbs that changed colours when touched.
      The photography is by Michael Grant.

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      Thompson Washington DC hotel subtly draws on city's nautical past

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      New York studio Parts and Labor Design has taken cues from Washington DC’s maritime past to create the interiors of a hotel in the city’s Navy Yard neighbourhood. Thompson Washington DC is an 11-storey hotel by local firm Studios Architecture with interiors by Parts and Labor Design. Located in the city’s southern Navy Yard neighbourhood, the hotel […] More