REAL ESTATE

The Commercial Insider

By Andrew O’Neill

June 2008

1030 Wisconsin Avenue:
The owners of the Prada Gallery sold their property in May to a consulting firm who will be using the property as office space.  The property was sold for approximately $715 per square foot and has no parking. The gallery bought the property in 2005 and the new sale reflects a twenty percent increase from the ‘05 sale price. 

3240 P Street:
Public records show the owners of Jean Luc Vivier, owner of the eponymous salon, sold the property to one of his stylists for $1,740,000. The property is approximately 4,000 square feet and was recently renovated. It is unclear whether the business was sold as a part of this transaction. The property is located adjacent to the old Addison School.

3015 M Street:
Now that Apple has started construction to renovate French Connection’s space on Wisconsin Ave, the owner’s have submitted plans to replace Mon Cheri café with the displaced clothier. The building’s interior should include a large atrium and open bay design. This trend can also be seen in Cusp across the street, Vineyard Vines, Apple and other retailers facing Wisconsin Ave. and M Street.
1855 Wisconsin Ave: 
Safeway has decided to go forward with the demo and reconstruction of the “social Safeway.” Plans will be submitted for approval, and if approved, the new Safeway would be increased. In addition, the store would be constructed closer to Wisconsin Avenue. The store orientation facing Wisconsin was ironically the way the original Safeway was designed and would be more in line with today’s other retail street frontage in the area.  The parking would be structured in the rear of the property adjacent to Dumbarton Oaks Park.

3304 M Street:
Opening in summer of 2008, Janus et Cie will replace Random Harvest. Janus et Cie is a reputable furniture retailer with products most designed for outdoor living. This is the second recent turnover of a retailer on the 3300 block of Wisconsin. The other was Gore Dean who moved to O Street. 

3307 M Street:

Lumas Editions Gallery (www.lumas.com) leased 4,215 square feet across from Cady’s Alley in the space that was previously leased to Staples. The building is owned by Eastbanc who decided to divide the space and market it to smaller tenants upon Staples’ departure. Lumas is a German based company and has photo galleries throughout Europe and the U.S.

Excellence in Architecture

Spanning from the redesign of an eighteenth century log cabin, to an innovative glass bathing chamber, the 12 projects honored for the 27th Annual Washingtonian Residential Design Awards demonstrate the winning architects’ keen eye for design and the latest in style and innovation. Presented by the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and Washingtonian Magazine, the awards recognize distinctive residential architecture in the Washington Metropolitan Area, regardless of size or classification, on the basis of excellence in total design.

The awards were presented at the eco-friendly Swiss Embassy on Monday, May 5, in conjunction with a guided tour of the award-winning residence and a dynamic green building panel discussion that provided insight from both American and Swiss perspectives. The awards event was sponsored by Horizon Builders, James G. Davis Construction, Barnes Vanze Architects, Keast and Hood Company, Muse Architects, Grunley Construction Company, Cunning ham Quill Architects, PN Hoffman, Hickok Cole Architects, Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects, Bonstra|Haresign Architects and Bloom Builders.

“These designs represent some of the best work by architects in the Washington, D.C. metro area,” said Mary Fitch, executive director of the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “The honorees’ innovative and visually stunning projects show that Washington architects and architecture are on the par with work in other great world capitals.”

A panel comprised of Julie Hacker, AIA, a partner of Stuart Cohen and Julie Hacker Architects in Evanston, Illinois; Dan Shipley, FAIA, the principal of Shipley Architects in Dallas, TX; and James M. Evans, AIA, the founder and principal architect of Collaborative Design Works in Houston, Texas chose 12 winning projects among 142 entries.

The winners are:

Bonstra|Haresign Architects Parker Flats at the Gage School

David Haresign, AIA and Bill Bonstra, AIA were honored for their conversion of a vacant DC public school near LeDroit Park into a 92-unit condominium project while keeping the integrity of the building. The building maintains the look of the neighborhood while bringing upscale modern conveniences to its residences.

Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects Cliff House

Andrew Lewis, AIA was honored for the renovation of the 1835 log cabin into a guest home while celebrating the historical elements of the structure.  An innovative external support allowed the original logs and planking to remain exposed.

Gardner Mohr Architects Gilmer Residence

Amy Gardner, AIA was honored for an addition to a 1920s bungalow. The addition nearly doubled the size of the bungalow but maintained its distinctive character, providing a gradual transition from cozy bungalow to expansive garden rooms using 10-foot sliding doors.

Wiedemann Architects Chevy Chase Heights Four Square

Gregory Wiedemann, AIA and Felix Gonzalez were honored for expanding the living space without compromising the character and integrity of the historic home. Several levels of living space were created in this renovation by finishing off the attic and excavating the crawl space.

David Jameson Architect Spout Run Residence

David Jameson, FAIA and Chris Cabacar were honored for the renovation of a 1970s house near the Potomac River which opened the home to the landscape. Reordering rooms and simplifying the roof structure helps to weave the surrounding forest canopy with the interior living spaces.

Kube Architecture Hall Place Residence

Located in Georgetown, this corner row house was updated and expanded with a burst of contemporary style by Janet Bloomberg and Ryan Novi. The façade remains historic but the interior is a combination of traditional and modern spaces connected with a steel screen wall.

McInturff Architects Glass Bath

This freestanding bathing space designed by Mark McInturff, FAIA and Taylor Borchert differs from the common American master suite by dedicating the larger space to bathing and dressing. The European clients now carry out daily rituals in this peaceful, light filled room.

Shinberg Levinas Architectural Design Gillon Residential Addition

Antonia Vintro and Salo Levinas were honored for their innovative design using a bridge that connects the new master suite to the family home. The suite is wrapped in a rich, protective wood shell on the street side, like a large tree trunk in the forest. Diffused light filters into the interior where furniture was custom designed by the architects.

David Jameson Architect Hoopers Island Residence

To meet Chesapeake Bay building code requirements, David Jameson, FAIA and Chris Cabacar designed this home to hover above the flood plain. The week-end home is comprised of three elements: the master cabin, guest cabin, and lodge. They also used locally available resources in construction.

David Jameson Architect Black White

‘Temples of light’ characterize this renovation designed by David Jameson, FAIA and Chris Cabacar.  An existing home was expanded and reorganized, creating a larger dwelling but one that fits well within the landscape.

Studio 109 Poplar Terraces

A collection of four individual houses was designed by Jim Rousevell using the surrounding natural scenery. Garden terrace walls, woodlands and energy efficient building plans help connect the future occupants with the land.

Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Wissioming Residence

Built on an old foundation to preserve mature trees, this stunning new house takes full advantage of its spectacular setting.  Robert M. Gurney, FAIA was honored for a new home design that protects the landscape, yet charts a bold new vision for Washington-area home design.

The twelve winners were announced in the June 2008 issue of Washingtonian and Summer issue of ARCHITECTUREDC magazine and received a handsome certificate. Congratulations!