Plan
Designed by Washington’s first registered African-American architect, John A. Lankford, this former coal distribution facility had been abandoned since the 1968 MLK riots. It’s adaptive re-use and expansion into 27 loft-style units preserves and revitalizes the building’s place within the Greater 14th Street Historic District. The restored historic structure and its seven-story addition are articulated as compatible yet distinct volumes seemingly built over time. An efficient arrangement of stairs and elevators serves four units per level and duplex units which occupy the top two floors. An oval-shaped penthouse is sheathed in blue polycarbonate panels to uniquely establish a place in its varied urban context.
