AIA reveals schematic design for first-ever comprehensive renovation of its D.C. headquarters

Like any 50-12 months-aged constructing, AIA’s Washington, D.C., headquarters
is demonstrating its age. Antiquated, inefficient devices are fraying and breaking
down, an evolving workplace lifestyle has rendered its siloed areas obsolete,
and the Brutalist ideals that shaped its large-walled street existence have specified
way to a want for transparency and engagement. In shorter, the setting up no
for a longer period serves as an economical or helpful place for AIA team to do the job or
users to take a look at, nor does it most effective mirror the
organization’s values.

“AIA’s headquarters need to serve as an expression of the benefit
architects supply and align with the values we uphold as a career,” claims
AIA 2022 President Dan Hart, FAIA. “We have a duty to redesign this
legendary setting up to the maximum standards in sustainability, resilience, and
equity.”

“We have
a responsibility to redesign this iconic creating to the optimum expectations in
sustainability, resilience, and equity.”  – AIA 2022 President Dan
Hart, FAIA

To have out the building’s first-at any time thorough renovation,
the Board of Directors picked a job group led by San Francisco–based
architecture firm EHDD, with Hood Layout Studio, Hartman-Cox Architects, and Stage Vitality Innovations as
consultants, and Turner Construction Company overseeing
building management. The undertaking kicked off in 2020, and now AIA is delighted
to share the team’s schematic design and style.

The AIA’s headquarters making was designed by The Architects
Collaborative, the Cambridge, Massachusetts–based large of Postwar Modernism
started by the likes of John Harkness, FAIA, and Walter Gropius. Supposed to
produce a statement about Fashionable architecture in a intensely Federalist
neighborhood, the developing used the cutting-edge know-how of its day. But 50
years of breakthroughs in developing technologies exhibit that the deficiency of insulation
in the concrete walls and the one-paned windows are terribly inefficient. In the same way,
initial methods these types of as fuel-fired boilers really don’t hold with the sustainable
specifications of the working day.

If the first developing was supposed to make a assertion about
design, the target of the renovation is to exhibit the energy of architects and
architecture to rework the current created environment for an inclusive and
weather-good long run.

Because preserving the embodied carbon is crucial to decarbonizing the
campus, EHDD made a scheme—designed in accordance with the Framework
for Layout Excellence—that will reinvent the existing creating, somewhat than starting
anew. On the principal south- and west-struggling with façades, preset solar shades earlier mentioned
new double-pane very low-E glazing will minimize warmth achieve and build considerably less of a
burden for electrified creating systems—all of which will be driven by on- and
off-site renewable strength. A new performative interesting roof underneath a 125 kW PV array
will further control the thermal resistance of the structure.

A reprogrammed courtyard will invite associates of AIA and the
Washington, D.C., local community alike to have interaction with the making. Relocating the
shop to the entrance of the developing together New York Avenue will maximize
visibility and foot targeted traffic to the website, inviting men and women to shop and to continue to be to
master a lot more about architecture.

Within, the glass-lined atrium is currently being reimagined as an inside
yard, leveraging all the health and fitness positive aspects of biophilia to build a a lot more
dynamic place. The ground-floor welcome heart will element landing areas as
well as galleries that exhibit do the job from a varied cross-segment of AIA customers
and components.

A new decreased degree will home fall-in collaboration and coworking
areas and features these kinds of as a health and fitness middle, mother’s room, library, VR/media
lounges, espresso space, and archives. The next ground will host the AIA’s
advocacy center as properly as far more coworking house and a web hosting suite to supply
business and conference room for going to customers. The third- and fourth-floor
workspaces for AIA team will function open up and enclosed collaborative spaces as
well as open-program workstations and retreats for centered operate together with social
areas that are missing in the current setup. This will enable extra
interconnectivity concerning AIA departments that will streamline units and
gain members throughout the country.

“This
headquarters renewal will significantly remodel AIA’s home for personnel, associates,
and people by fostering connection to the community serving as a design of stewardship
and sustainability for the public and job addressing the urgent require
for local climate motion and generating a adaptable and collaborative operate ecosystem
that embodies the AIA’s mission and values.” –  EHDD lover Rebecca
Sharkey, AIA

“This headquarters renewal will substantially renovate AIA’s dwelling
for team, associates, and visitors by fostering link to the community
serving as a product of stewardship and sustainability for the general public and
occupation addressing the urgent require for climate motion and developing a
versatile and collaborative work ecosystem that embodies the AIA’s mission and
values,” claims EHDD husband or wife Rebecca Sharkey, AIA.

Though EHDD’s 74-12 months background is steeped in making new and
revitalized tasks with deep know-how in renovation and expansions, this one
aims bigger than at any time right before. “It will be one of the 1st fully decarbonized
key renovations in the U.S.,” Sharkey says. “Both embodied and operational
carbon from the renovation will be fully resolved and will show a
cost-helpful path for reaching the AIA 2030 Motivation target of carbon.”

With 2030—and the carbon-neutral targets that arrive with
it—fast-approaching, and offered the dilapidated state of the setting up, there is
no time like the existing for the AIA to embark on this task. And even though
funding is nevertheless underway, AIA has dedicated that member dues will not be
greater to go over the expense of the project.

“Supplied the present state of our headquarters, we won’t be able to pay for
not to make this important expense in the potential of our organization and the
career,” mentioned AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Lakisha Ann Woods.
“By transforming our office, we will substantially lower our carbon
footprint and operational expenditures while also ensuring we have the bodily room
abilities to satisfy our long term needs. I look ahead to welcoming our users,
employees, and group to our renewed room at the time the renovation is
entire.”

“By
reworking our workplace, we will substantially lower our carbon footprint and
operational prices although also making certain we have the physical space abilities
to fulfill our foreseeable future requirements.” – AIA EVP/Main Government Officer Lakisha Ann
Woods

In addition to supplying a safer and additional successful work and
gathering place for AIA personnel and customers, the renovation will provide as an
instance of what can be done in the crafted setting. To outcome change, AIA
ought to guide by case in point.  

“By demonstrating the powerful role design and style can enjoy in increasing
our communities, we can exhibit how to just take the motion that is wanted to transfer the
needle on weather action and to make the developed surroundings more healthy and safer
for foreseeable future generations,” Hart suggests. “In get to properly advocate for these
modifications, we should commence by taking motion ourselves.”