1999 K Street/ Washington, D.C./ 2009
Type: Office
Size: 309,000 sq ft / 28,700 sq m
Height: 12 floors
Status: Completed 2009
Certifications: LEED Gold (Core + Shell)
Recognition: AIA Chicago Chapter Distinguished Building Award; Washington Building Congress – Craftsmanship Award; Best Real Estate of 2009 Award
1999 K Street is defined by its lightness, openness, transparency, and daylight, along with programmatic efficiency and flexibility. Together, these elements set the building apart from the typical office block in Washington, DC, with a scale that is tailored to establish a continuity with the street edge.
The sweeping glass façade delaminates from the interior volume and establishes a strong corner in the urban context, creating light-filled workspaces housed within a simple yet sophisticated glazed cubic prism. Exterior structural glass mullions reduce metal frames in the façade and give the building’s skin a subtle texture. Meanwhile, finely detailed structural elements extend outward to accept the layered façade, with views of the city extending through the steel and glass filigree.
The luminous glazed lobby by lighting artist Yann Kersalé curates the entry experience and further reinforces the elegant, restrained language of the building. The design achieved LEED CS Gold certification through a blend of high-efficiency equipment and fixtures, lean structural design, re-use of existing footings, creative material selections, and pragmatic design solutions.
