The Bonsai is a new 41-unit multifamily apartment residences, composed of four floors plus cellar and setback penthouse, located at 1214 Bladensburg Road, NE. The project is setting the standard for the redevelopment of this portion of Bladensburg Road with a contemporary, rational, and contextual architecture.
The building is designed with clear horizontal and vertical lines, creating a subtle grid and subdivision of the façade allowing a direct dialogue between the interior spaces and the exterior streetscape. The limited palette of artfully composed materials used allows the eye to navigate through the façade in a seamless manner, focusing on the careful composition of the elevation. The upper floors sit on a brick plinth, giving the building a physical and theoretical attachment to the urban streetscape. Nature is omnipresent, from the street planters to the green roofs to Juliet balconies, allowing each resident to have their own connection to nature.