Chapman Stables
Project Location
Washington, DC
Awards
– 2020 DC Preservation League, Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation; Design and Construction;
– 2019 Washingtonian | AIA DC, Distinctive Residential Architecture;
– 2019 AIA VA, Honor Award Residential Design
Project Type
– Mixed Use/ Multi-Family Residential;
– Renovations/ Adaptive Re-use;
– Retail
A renovation, repair, and addition of an historic, industrial building into modern affordable and market-rate apartments in Washington, DC.
The Project
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the existing two-story building served many different functions over the years – from early 20th century horse stables and box factory to an automotive service garage to a mixed-use residential apartment and retail building today. The existing building was repaired, renovated, and strengthened for the new architectural programming and for the addition of two floor levels and pitched roof above. The project also includes a six-story addition with apartments and garage enclosing an amenity courtyard.
Structural Features
The existing, early 1900’s building was an amalgamation of structures and additions built through the years for the building’s varying purposes. The primary frame consisted of concrete joists with clay tile filler supported on steel and concrete beams bearing on steel columns and load bearing brick. A wood-framed addition was built above the existing building to create more levels.
Throughout the building, the project required detailed studies of the existing structural capacity and condition. Ehlert Bryan led this effort and coordinated the work with testing agencies and historic structural manuals. In many cases, the poor condition of the existing structure required structural repair or replacement. In other locations, strengthening or supplemental framing was required due to the added loads on the structure and/or the addition of large openings for stairs, canopies, and other architectural elements. The building was also retrofitted with a new lateral force resisting system.
The addition to the north of the building included an underground parking garage with a transfer podium slab above supporting six stories of epicore deck on light gauge bearing walls. The underground parking garage required micro-pile underpinning of the existing building’s foundations. The slab above is also designed to carry an amenity courtyard with grade changes, trees, and other vegetation.
Ultimately, the structural creativity and thoughtfulness of the Ehlert Bryan team allowed an abandoned building to be brought to life as a repurposed, 114-unit mixed-use building that is unique and prominent in this urban DC neighborhood.
