The once-modern office building at the quiet end of town had become heavy-looking and outdated.
Although the building wasn’t old, dating back only to 1986, it had outlived its usefulness as headquarters for the Sheet Metal Workers International Association. By late 2011, the trade group occupied only part of one floor. The main tenant, the federal government’s General Services Administration, was also relocating.
The building was situated in Alexandria, Va., a city of 150,000 in the backyard of the nation’s capital. Yet, despite its convenient location and view of the Potomac River, most companies considered the structure’s 155,000-square-foot footprint too small, its C shape awkward, its courtyard a waste, and its windows too small for sufficient natural light.
But developer EYA saw the site’s potential. The firm, based in nearby Bethesda, Md., had completed enough adaptive-reuse projects to recognize a diamond, even if it needed substantial polishing.
EYA knew that the footprint that wouldn’t work for offices could be ideal for residences, due to its single-loaded corridors. And with new, bigger windows, all the units would have ample light, many with riverfront views. The stepped-back configuration even allowed for multiple roof terraces.
The location was transit oriented, as well, with a nearby Metro and public bus stops; access to water taxis to Georgetown and the National Mall; and underground parking that would have been exorbitant to build from scratch.
And the timing couldn’t have been better. The location, at the north end of Alexandria’s historic Old Town, was being developed for greater mixed use and walkability. But it lacked one-level luxury condos for the mostly older, affluent residents who lived in the community, wanted to downsize, and no longer found multiple-level townhouses appealing. Another, subgroup was foreign buyers, given the proximity to Washington, D.C.
Imaginative Design
Because local
zoning restrictions limited new-construction heights to 50 feet, adapting the
70-foot-tall building seemed almost a no-brainer, says Brian Allen Jackson, a
managing partner and senior vice president at EYA. Patrick Burkhart, AIA, whose
D.C.-based architectural firm, Shalom Baranes Associates, transformed the
building, adds that the restriction “also saved time, since it could have taken
12 months just for demolition. It also cost less to repurpose.”
Yet, adapting the building, named The Oronoco Waterfront Residences because it fronts Oronoco Bay Park, required imagination. “[People] thought it looked like a beached cruise ship,” Burkhart says.
The architects removed the aluminum-paneled exterior, painted bronze-brown, which they—and others—considered an eyesore, and recycled the material as part of their application for LEED Silver certification. The team reskinned the formerly brown-brick façade with an elegant combination of red brick that matches area buildings; insulated aluminum panels with a high-performance metallic finish; and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The architects also removed solar water heaters from the existing terraces, to gain outdoor living space, and extended each living unit with a 5-foot-wide glass bay.
Because of the difficulty in finding area parking, EYA retained the garage, but not all of its 350 spots, which would have proved wasteful. Instead, the developer kept 150 spaces—more than two per unit. “We had a deep knowledge of the submarket we were selling to,” says Jackson.
The stairs and
elevators were replaced to meet code, and a
floating wood floor was added on top of the concrete slab to accommodate
plumbing and sound attenuation. The new floor system was built with pine sleeper
joists and a plywood subfloor, with pre-finished, solid-oak plank flooring on
top.
Right
on Target
Unlike
Millennials, who desire multiple public spaces to socialize and will make do
with smaller units, The Oronoco’s target cohort wanted the opposite: expansive
space and fewer shared areas. The building’s density permitted up to 110
condos, but EYA limited the number to 60 to provide 2,000- to
4,000-square-foot, two- and three-bedroom units—smaller than most buyers’ prior
homes but hardly “small.” The open-style kitchen–dining–living rooms reflect
how most age groups now want to live.
The Oronoco’s public spaces include a two-level lobby, fitness–yoga center, meeting space, playroom for visiting grandchildren, 24/7 concierge desk, bike storage (the building abuts the popular Mount Vernon Trail), dog washing room, and landscaped outdoor pool. Sabine Roy of SR/A Interior Design in Chevy Chase, Md., developed a sophisticated look echoing swank hotels: an off-white and gray palette, French limestone, cherry paneling, and photos of federal buildings.
Since the project opened last August, 55 units have sold, with prices between $1.59 million and $4.49 million.
Joseph and Nancy Resende represent typical buyers. They moved eight blocks south, from their 3,500-square-foot townhouse to a 2,700-square-foot condo. “We were ready for a lifestyle change,” says Joseph, president of the building’s homeowners association. He credits The Oronoco with helping to kick-start the north end’s redevelopment.
That’s a pretty powerful change artist.
AT A GLANCE
Project name: The
Oronoco Waterfront Residences, Alexandria, Va.
Former use:
Headquarters of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association
New use: Luxury
condo
Size: Six
stories, 60 units, 155,000 square feet
Developer: EYA,
Bethesda, Md.
Architect: Shalom
Baranes Associates, Washington, D.C.
Designer: SR/A
Interior Design, Chevy Chase, Md.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. Know your
micromarket. While many developers are focusing on luxury rentals for
Millennials, these sprawling, one-level condos were inspired by their
riverfront location and a void in the market for affluent empty-nesters and
international buyers.
2. Understand the
building’s structure. Because wood floors couldn’t be built directly atop the existing
concrete, a floating wood floor system was added to conceal ductwork and baffle noise.
3. Pick
technology wisely. This demographic cares greatly about security, especially
since many travel to other homes or come from abroad. So the developer added a
gate to the courtyard, as well as a secure, electronic keycard entry system for
the homeowners.
