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This tour will showcase Margarite, a sophisticated, design-focused apartment building near the booming Union Market. The tour will include multiple outdoor spaces, including Neal Place Park, curated lobby and amenity spaces, as well as residences, including a 2-story penthouse with custom staircase and an expansive private roof terrace.

Situated within the transformative Union Market neighborhood of Washington, D.C., Margarite is designed in response to its surrounding urban conditions. This is most clearly manifest in its carefully considered facade which conceptually references an oyster - the soft, elegant pearl surrounded by a tougher and harder shell. Facing the serene Neal Place Park and the bustling historic Union Market the building presents its “pearl façade” as primarily glass. Conversely, the “shell façade” protects the building from the congested New York Avenue and active train tracks just steps away in the other direction. This masonry shell utilizes a dynamic pattern of solid and void to mimic the active nature of the highway, while providing residents with ample natural light and outdoor spaces. The striking masonry and glass structure with an integrated pocket park creates a refined, urban reprieve in the otherwise bustling Union Market neighborhood. Thoughtfully crafted, luxury apartments, in combination with tailored interior and exterior community spaces, enhance the daily living experience and comfort of each resident.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the creation process of a new construction, design-focused residential building.
• Understand how thoughtful design can play a role in aiding mental health and comfort.
• Learn how high-quality details and craft, typically reserved for custom homes, are adapted and executed across 260 residences.
• Learn how a building can respond to challenging urban context and enhance the neighborhood.

Presented by:

Brad Fowler, AIA 
Founding Partner
ParkFowler Plus