The Westerly is a landmark building providing better than market quality for a mixed-use, mixed-income, affordable housing development program in the heart of the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington DC. As a vibrant transit oriented development (TOD), the Westerly is located one block from Waterfront Station on the Metro’s Green Line and is the latest component of the District’s Waterfront Station Planned Unit Development (PUD). That PUD delivers the urban repair of the Urban Renewal era Waterside Mall development of the 1960’s and includes mixed-use municipal office, a large format grocer (Safeway), neighborhood scale retail, and mixed-income residential. 

The Westerly inhabits, shapes, and defines a unique urban site.  The geometry of the building responds to the predominant grid of the District’s Southwest quadrant and to the shifted alignment of 4th Street SW, a two-sided public retail street  To the north, a private drive creates a mid-block, east-west connection linking to the existing church to the north.  This private drive is designed as a woonerf, a shared space for pedestrians and cars that does not give primacy to the automobile but fosters a safe and secure mix of cars and people when vehicle access is necessary and can otherwise be closed off to create a purely pedestrian experience.  The retail program includes an exciting all-day restaurant concept at the corner of 4th and the pedestrian walkway.  The main residential entrance and early education center with playground also face the pedestrian walkway. AppleTree Public Charter School is a pre-kindergarten education staple of the Southwest neighborhood and a dedicated cultural space for the Westerly and the community. The play area serves the pre-school during school hours, while outside of school hours it is accessible to children from the larger community. These programming elements activate the urban public spaces and provide a seamless pedestrian experience for the mid-block connection and 4th Street.   Loading and parking are collected at the west, next to an already active loading zone for the building to the south, keeping the pedestrian and retail experience intact and clear of vehicular conflict.

The Westerly is a true TOD, mixed-use, mixed-income, mixed-finance affordable housing building of the highest quality.

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe the unique attributes of the urban site of the building and how it responds to the grid of DC's Southwest quadrant as well as the shifted alignment of 4th Street SW.
• Identify the effects of the Urban Renewal era on the Waterside Mall development of the 1960’s and efforts to repair damage from that era.
• Analyze the programming elements that activate the urban space and design decisions that impact the pedestrian experience and contribute to the well being of the community.
• Explore the use of balconies as a principal element of the Project’s architecture, function, and post-pandemic marketability.

Presented by:

Sarah Alexander
Senior Principal
Torti Gallas + Partners

Nesli Dogrusoz
Associate Principal
Torti Gallas + Partners

Walk along the beautiful waterfront of one of DC's most up and coming areas, The Wharf, as you explore restaurants designed by local rm / /3877. With a vast knowledge of the area and a keen eye for detail, the architecture and design team will guide the exploration of four recently-completed food & beverage projects: Limani, Lucky Buns at The Wharf, ilili, MI VIDA, The Grill, and Easy Company. Displaying stunning and unique designs, each of the four restaurants are inspired by a different cuisine, providing unique insight into design’s relationship with a variety of menus and operations. 

Kicking off near The Wharf’s Transit Pier, THE GRILL—an upscale American eatery—boasts a mid-century modern theme inspired by Miami living. Around the corner, Easy Company is a French- and Italian-inspired wine bar with al fresco dining with a design inspired by bustling European plazas. The tour will then move to MI VIDA, a fresh perspective on modern, south-of-the-border dining. The restaurant embraces colorful design elements the brand has become known for, particularly the traditional Mexican Árbol de La Vida, or “Tree of Life.” Next, attendees will visit ilili, a stunning Lebanese restaurant housed in a glass box building. The restaurant features a large limestone fountain that rested in Provence, France, in the late 19th century, bird cages suspended from the ceiling, and pops of bright orange and turmeric. Further south along Wharf Street SW, Lucky Buns created by chef and Food Network personality Alex McCoy—showcases a classic neighborhood bar and burger restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. Last on the tour, Limani’s striking exterior architecture greets visitors with a design that transforms a distinct existing building on the pier into an upscale restaurant with panoramic views inspired by Mediterranean cuisine.

Approximately 0.4 miles each way, please be prepared to walk 1 mile through the duration of the tour.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore and evaluate the unique design strategies employed by / /3877 in the creation of four distinct food and beverage establishments, understanding how these strategies contribute to the functionality of food service.
• Learn how cultural influences and themes are integrated into the design of each restaurant, from the European-inspired wine bar at Easy Company to the vibrant, south-of-the-border cuisine at MI VIDA, gaining insights into how cultural storytelling enhances the overall dining experience.
• Study the adaptive reuse of existing structures, particularly at Limani, to understand the challenges and benefits of transforming pre-existing buildings into modern, upscale dining venues with unique architectural identities.
• Discuss the design considerations for blending indoor and outdoor spaces, as demonstrated at Lucky Buns and Easy Company, to create versatile and seamless restaurant environments.

Presented by:

David Shove Brow, AIA, NCARB, Partner at //3877

David Tracz, AIA, LEED AP, Partner at //3877

The first phase of the Reservoir District, also known as McMillan, opened in June 2024 at the intersection of North Capitol Street and Michigan Avenue. The historic former water filtration site with a landscape embellished by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. is today becoming a vibrant and diverse community anchored by a new six-acre park and community center. This complex public project, years in the making, celebrates and respects the 25-acre historic setting with new mixed-use development, public open space, unique preservation strategies and context sensitive design to create a truly unique community resource for the local neighborhood and the residents of Washington, DC.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the how the overall site master plan navigates the complexities of the issues related to the redevelopment of the historic site.
• Understand how the specific historic characteristics of the landmark can be woven into the new park and community center in Phase One.
• Conceptualize an architecture that both memorializes aspects of the landmarks characteristics yet introduces a new language that is compatible with the complex.
• Identify techniques to integrate new large-scale and detailed design approaches with the local community context and yet remain a distinct and identifiable 25-acre complex.

Presented by:

Matthew Bell FAIA
Christian Calleri AIA
Tom Jester (Quinn Evans, Invited)

1425 New York Avenue is an exciting office to residential conversion project located in the heart of downtown DC. The project team is transforming an existing 1990s office building into 243 rental units for delivery in Summer 2025.

With its prime location, the project is a showcase for downtown living in a building that tells a story through its history and adaptive reuse. After making strategic modifications to the existing structure and façade, the design team has been able to introduce updated materials, contemporary design, and sustainable practices to transform the dated building into a desirable residence with a sense of place.

This tour offers an inside look at an active construction site, showcasing the transformation of an existing building and the design challenges it presented. Visitors will see firsthand how these challenges were overcome while exploring residential units in progress, amenity spaces, and one-of-a-kind rooftop views. The experience will provide valuable insight into the growing trend of converting office buildings for new uses.

Important Information:

• The tour meeting point is the front of the building on the New York Avenue side.
• Please wear close-toed shoes.
• Please bring helmets and vests if you have them, otherwise, helmets will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the design approach for renovation/conversion projects.
• Identify some of the challenges of conversion projects.
• Understand the sustainability strategies unique to conversion projects.
• Understand how conversion projects contribute to the vibrancy of downtown DC.

Presented by:

Siti Abdul-Rahman, AIA, LEED AC Managing Principal, WDG

Susan Salsbury AIA I LEED AP I WELL AP, Senior Associate, WDG

JP Gonzalez, Project Designer, WDG

A collection of residences, workspaces, and cultural beacons, the 9½ Street Initiative celebrates U Street’s rich artistic character and cultural history. The multi-building redevelopment provides a new and permanent home for the African American Civil War Museum and creates a supportive mix of commercial and residential uses. As a result of the thoughtful and surgical-like urban infill design, this adaptive reuse celebrates the historic character of the former Grimke School while creating new modern living, working, learning and “making” spaces.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore how architects, urban designers, and planners can work in conjunction with Public Private Partnerships to generate practice and simultaneously contribute to community vitality.
• Analyze the impact of cultural anchors on a neighborhood.
• Summarize the history of the Grimke School and describe the major considerations in its adaptive reuse.
• Identify different approaches in design for the ownership condo building facing U Street and the rental apartment building on 9 1/2 Street.

Presented by: 

Murphy Antoine, FAIA
President, Torti Gallas + Partners

Sarah Alexander, AIA
Senior Principal, Torti Gallas + Partners

Please join us for a behind-the-scenes architecture experience of President Lincoln's Cottage, organized in collaboration with President Lincoln's Cottage staff.

This tour, presented by President Lincoln's Cottage's Director of Preservation Jeffrey Larry, will go in depth into the architectural history of the house, as well as what it takes to preserve such a historic building. You will depart this tour with new intelligence on the history of this home, its various purposes over the years and, of course, how the beautiful Gothic revival house was built. 

Presented by:

Jeffrey Larry, Director of Preservation- Jeff joined the staff at President Lincoln’s Cottage as Preservation Manager in January 2008. He started his career as sole-proprietor of a restoration business in Burlington, Vermont soon after receiving a BA in Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College in 1996.  After moving to Washington D.C., he completed projects on several local historic homes and sites, including the Decatur House and the south porch of The Old Naval Hospital, a building commissioned by Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to be the District’s first naval hospital. In addition to his work at the Cottage, Jeff uses his preservation and project management skills to bring improvements to his community in Baltimore.  He serves on the Board of the Charles Village Community Foundation, an organization that provides grants for groups and individuals whose projects will enhance the neighborhood’s quality of life; he is the Vice President of the Friends of the 26th Street Corridor, a community lead group that has been working with the city to turn a section of 26th street into a park; and he is a volunteer member of the Village Learning Place’s (VLP) Facilities Committee where he has performed pro-bono restoration work, developed a cyclical maintenance plan and managed numerous restoration projects to the slate roof, brickwork, interior surfaces, and gardens.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the challenges in preserving a historic building, such as ensuring proper accessibility and maintaining integrity of the building, and how to overcome these challenges.
• Explain the importance of preserving a historic structure, including the benefits to the local community.
• Describe the cottage’s beautiful arched doorways and large windows, exploring the different characteristics of the Gothic revival style, as it relates to Washington D.C.’s diverse architecture history.
• Discuss the history of the cottage, and how the museum utilizes the building today to promote the true spirit of the Lincolns, build empathy, and inspire patrons to act upon their own ideas for social justice.

Organized by:

The District Architecture Center and President Lincoln's Cottage

On April 8th, students from six regional architecture schools will gather to present their innovative projects themed 'climate/sustainability', with a secondary theme of 'housing.' This event will highlight forward-thinking designs and solutions aimed at reshaping design around the world, offering a glimpse into how emerging architects envision a sustainable future.

Learning Objectives

• Identify various design strategies for affordable housing that prioritize environmental sustainability, cost-efficiency, and long-term durability.
• Explore how core design principles can be incorporated into affordable housing projects to promote physical and mental well-being for residents.
• Assess the impact of well-designed affordable housing on the surrounding community, understanding how it can foster social cohesion, economic opportunity, and overall quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations.
• Gain knowledge of sustainable building techniques and materials, and how these practices can be applied to affordable housing projects to minimize environmental impact while maintaining accessibility and affordability for residents.

This walking tour, led by Joseph Himali, a public historian, licensed real estate agent, and lifelong Washingtonian, will discuss one of Washington, DC’s most historic neighborhoods. 

This tour will discuss the history of Georgetown, DC which is the oldest neighborhood in the Capital City. 

We will discuss the early building requirements of land ownership in Georgetown in the 18^th century. We will examine the construction methods used in the earliest commercial buildings in the city including the structural engineering issues that manifested in the buildings. 

We will discuss the architecture, design and construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and its effects on the surrounding neighborhood. We’ll review some of the earliest examples of historic adaptive reuse in Washington DC including examples by Arthur Cotton Moore, who was one of the most important architects in Washington in the second half of the 20^th Century. 

We will explore the use of various building materials including brick, stone and wood in the construction of commercial and residential properties. And we’ll review the effects of historic preservation laws on the shaping of the streetscapes of Georgetown. We will see a variety of architectural styles from Federal, Italianate, Art Deco, Tudor, Post-Modern and many others. 

Learning Objectives

• Explain the building and construction trends of Georgetown’s residential dwellings for over 300 years from the Colonial period through today.
• Summarize the significance and history of Georgetown in the overall history of Washington, DC.
• Describe the hallmark characteristics of many architectural styles and how they are affected by historic preservation laws.  
• Analyze the impact of zoning laws and structural engineering on the development of Georgetown and how it affects people living there to this day.

This tour is organized by Best Address.

This walking tour of Southwest Washington, DC, led by Joseph Himali, a public historian, licensed real estate agent, and lifelong Washingtonian, will discuss one of the first neighborhoods in the District to be developed. 

We will discuss the architectural styles and how development began in Washington in the 18^th Century. In addition, there will be discussion about the materials and construction methods used in early Washington, DC buildings.

This tour will discuss this history of the neighborhood and how the architecture and built environment of Southwest Washington, DC was used a political propaganda tool of the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.  It will discuss the redlining and restrictive covenants that were used to limit access to affordable housing for marginalized communities.

We will also review the ideas of Le Corbusier and other proponents of the “radiant city” ideals and how they were implemented in the urban renewal schemes employed in the redevelopment of Southwest during the mid-1900s. We will see unique architectural styles and interior configurations that led to new architectural styles in Washington, DC and around the country.

We will discuss the concept of the “Super Block” and the removal of alleys in the city and how that affected the people who lived there. Additionally, we’ll discuss the integration of landscape architecture in the design of the neighborhood.

The tour features some of the finest mid-century modern architecture in Washington, DC including work from Cloethial Woodward Smith, Charles Goodman, and the buildings that earned I.M. Pei his first awards. 

Learning Objectives

• Discuss the redevelopment of the mixed-use development of the Southwest Waterfront
• Summarize the impact of the “Super Block” in architecture and the integration of the landscape with the architecture of the buildings.
• Describe the history and impact of Cloethial Woodard-Smith who was the most influential woman architect of mid-century America.
• Analyze the impact of the Urban Renewal scheme on Southwest.  

This tour is organized by Best Address.

Join the AIA|DC Board and AIA|DC Members for a networking session and to build relationships that could lead to future collaborations. This networking hour will include food and beverage and a touch of fun!