Architecture

Figure 1 - Night Rendering looking from Spring St: Courtesy of EwingCole

Phase 2B is the second and final phase of this office headquarters expansion in the greater Washington D.C. area. During the first stage an eight story circular building was erected on the east side of Cameron St. to house the laboratories and research operations of the corporation. The main building of Phase 2B houses the offices, along with first floor retail space and a company daycare.

Figure 2 illustrates the 6th floor walking bridge that spans across Cameron St. to the first stage building. Below ground level are two stories of parking and mechanical equipment. As can be seen in figure 3, a large arm of the building stretches westward and creates a landscaped pedestrian plaza at street level. In this arm is a state of the art conference auditorium that is used to showcase the company's latest cardiovascular medicine. The overall design focus was to present the corperation as a modern research company that wishes to beautify and enrich the local cityscape.

Main Governing Building Codes

Zoning

The office building is restricted to a 90 ft. height limitation. The campus will participate in the Transportation Management's goal to reduce peak weekday auto traffic by reducing the number of workers commuting and parking in the city, which is sponsored by the local town government. The local jurisdiction also requires a minimum area of the site to be designed for public use and enjoyment. All buildings are set back a minimum of 5 ft. from the property lines. Further zoning limitations are currently being researched.

Historical Requirements

No historical limitations or perimeters were required for this project.

Building Enclosure

Exterior Walls

Interlocking zinc metal panels comprise the majority of the building's enclosure. All metal panels are painted, mostly burnt orange or grey. An aluminum curtain wall system with 1 in. insulated glass is the primary window system of this office. Around the majority of the ground floor and 7th floor offices this curtain wall extends for the full story height. This exterior is supported by 6 in. cold formed metal framing and insulated with 2.5 to 3.5 in. of rigid or semi-rigid insulation. At the base of most exterior walls is a 2 in. thick granite veneer.

Roofing

Two separate roofing systems are utilized, a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane system on the main building and a green-roof system on the auditorium structure and some other lower roofs. The 60 mils thick PVC membrane is fully adhered to the 5/8 inch protection board, which rests atop a 4 inch insulation layer.

Figure 4 - Typical green roof detail: Courtsey of Ewing Cole

The green roof system covers the entire oval roof of the auditorium and a small portion of the main building. As seen in figure 4, large gage metal deck supports 4 inches of rigid insulation, which is separated from the 8 inches of growth media's moisture by a roofing membrane and reservoir sheet.

Sustainability

Figure 4 - Aerial rendering showing the green roofs and PV arrays (located at the upper right of image): Courtsey of Ewing Cole

The minimum design goal for this office is to be certified LEED Silver. To achieve this rating a 150A photovoltaic (PV) array adorns the roof. This array was design for a future a 250A expansion. The PV arrays are elevated from the main roof to allow for solar shading in the summer. In addition all low-sloped roofs below the PV arrays have Energy Star rated PVC roofing with a Solar Reflectance Index of 78. The green roof on the remaining portions of the building helps to collect and recycle rain water while regulating the temperature of the space below. In the summer all chilled air passes over two energy recovery wheels. These 70% efficient units will help save cooling energy by expelling energy from the outside air into the building's out-going air. Further sustainability features are currently being researched.