D.C.’s Reviving Condo Market Goes Industrial Chic
Soaring walls of glass. Metal exterior framing in almost a subway tile pattern. Contemporary industrial-style finishes. Cruise by 2030 8th Street at Atlantic Plumbing in Northwest Washington, D.C.’s, Shaw neighborhood and you might think you’re in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.
The condo building – studio units start at $300,000 and penthouses soar to $2 million – was developed by The JBG Companies and Walton Street Capital. The Meatpacking District allusion is no coincidence – the building’s designer is none other than famous architect Morris Adjmi, celebrated for his distinctive buildings along Manhattan’s High Line.
A Washington Post article says Adjmi drew inspiration from the industrial landscapes along the train route between the District and New York City. “Some of the buildings are being repurposed while others are in a state of decay, but one thing I kept noticing was the plants and vines that were growing on abandoned buildings,” he was quoted in the article. “I like that combination of rough industrial architecture softened by nature.”
Originally slated to be rentals, JBG repositioned the project as condominiums, giving a nod that to the notion that the condo market is regaining consciousness in D.C. following a period of massive oversupply and sky-high vacancies. By year-end 2014, more than 1,000 new condo units were in the works – the first spike in eight years, according to the Washington Business Journal.
2030 8th Street and its next-door neighbor 2112 8th Street – a 310-unit luxury apartment building – are built on the site of what had been a plumbing supply warehouse, so the industrial design somewhat pays homage to the land’s original use.
BuzzBuzz Home offers a slideshow of interior and exterior renderings for inquiring minds. The project – which offers residents premium amenities like a full-service concierge, lounge with communal kitchen and bar, fitness center and reserved garage parking – won “Best New Condo Building” in the July 2015 issue of Washingtonian Magazine.
Kathryn Hamilton, CAE, is Vice President for Marketing and Communications at NAIOP Corporate.
