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_{Photo by © Edward Caruso Photography}

Join us during Architecture Month for an exclusive tour of the newly completed amenity expansion at 1200 19th Street NW, a dynamic transformation in the heart of Washington, DC. This project redefines what a workplace can be, reshaping the traditional office experience into something far more flexible, social, and inspiring.

On this guided tour, you will explore how the design team reimagined both interior and exterior spaces to support the full rhythm of the workday—from focused productivity and collaborative meetings to relaxation and informal connection. Drawing from hospitality principles, the expansion introduces warm materials, layered lighting, and thoughtfully scaled gathering areas that feel more like a boutique hotel than a conventional office building.

Participants will see firsthand how strategic interventions can reposition an existing property to meet evolving tenant expectations, blending wellness, flexibility, and community into a cohesive architectural experience. The result is not just an amenity upgrade, but a forward-looking model for the future of workplace design in downtown Washington.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify design strategies for creating flexible, multi-use interior amenity spaces—such as lounges, boardrooms, and event support spaces—within existing commercial buildings, with attention to occupant load, egress, accessibility, fire protection, and indoor environmental quality.
• Explain the technical, structural, and code considerations involved in designing occupiable rooftop environments, including structural loading, fall protection, life safety systems, accessibility, and weather protection to ensure occupant health, safety, and welfare.
• Summarize how Washington, DC’s Affordable Housing Amendment impacts zoning, permitting, and design decisions, using the amenity expansion at 1200 19th Street NW as a case study, and evaluate how regulatory frameworks influence building performance, occupant safety, and equitable development outcomes.
• Assess how hospitality-inspired design elements—including materials, lighting, furnishings, and programming—can support long-term adaptability, user comfort, accessibility, and healthy interior environments for varied tenant uses.

Presented by:

Christopher Mayor, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, NCIDQ
Senior Principal
SmithGroup

Eva Kodouskova, AIA, NCIDQ
Architect
SmithGroup