PROJECT DETAILS
Location: Washington, D.C.
Developer: Urban Investment Partners
Architect: WDG Architecture
Builder: UIP General Contracting
Interior Designer: SRA Interior Design / WDG Architecture
Opened: September 2020
Number of Units: 250
Unit Mix: Studios; one- and two-bedrooms
Rents: $1,749 to $5,089
The Boathouse—located next to the famous Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.—was originally constructed in 1962 as a Howard Johnson’s hotel, where rooms 419 and 723 monitored the Watergate hotel break-in in the summer of 1972. After the hotel’s closure, The George Washington University purchased the site for graduate student housing in 1999.
Renovation began in 2014 as a student housing partnership with the university, but after demolition the property was sold to Urban Investment Partners, with the new goal of creating a market-rate rental community.
One of the only remaining portions of the original building is the structural frame; given the project’s age and condition, plans to salvage elements of the façade were scrapped due to structural concerns. Instead, the exterior is clad in light, modern materials, including corrugated metal, cementitious panels, and high-pressure laminates. Its vertical running bond pattern, presented in a mix of neutral tones and vibrant greens and yellows, is designed to complement the neighboring Watergate without competing with its horizontal orientation. The design also leverages preexisting building features that would not be allowed under current building codes, including existing balcony areas that project toward Virginia Avenue.
Davis Dolson, WDG
As the existing structure worked best with a micro-unit layout, the community offers a mix of conventional and co-living units ranging from 392 to 825 square feet in size, with two-bedroom, two-bath units to accommodate roommate situations. The units themselves are designed for efficiency, with design elements that match the public spaces.
Amenities include a two-story lobby with a prominent rowing scull design piece, an integrated restaurant, and a café; a rooftop amenity space with a pool, grilling stations, and personal garden spaces; a resident library; a dog spa; remote office spaces; a club room and game room; and a fitness center.
The new structure is made to achieve LEED Silver certification, with extensive rooftop plantings, a highly efficient new envelope, and a modern central HVAC system.
