Alternate Alexandria Waterfront Plan Coming Today

A group opposed to current plans to redevelop Alexandria's waterfront area will unveil an alternate proposal of their own at an event Sunday evening.

Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan (CAAWP) has opposed the city's design for the historic waterfront and called for more parks and development in existing buildings along the Potomac.

The current plan, first proposed by the city this past spring and the subject of further examination by an eight-member citizens group appointed by Mayor William Euille, singles out three sites for redevelopment: Robinson Terminal North, Robinson Terminal South, and the so-called "Cummings-Turner Block," which is located in the 200 block of South Union Street.

The Robinson Terminals are among the biggest points of contention in the controversy between the city and CAAWP. Both buildings are owned by Robinson Terminal Warehouse Company, a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company, and are used for newsprint storage and transfer. According to thePost, part of CAAWP's report will accuse the city of agreeing to allow more dense zoning on Robinson-owned land in exchange for the company agreeing to try and put hotels on it.

City officials denied CAAWP's claim to the Post, pointing out that the current proposal is the culmination of a two-year-long effort to solicit opinions from the community.

CAAWP argues that the decision to allow higher-density zoning would open the door to high-rise hotels in the style of the National Harbor development in Prince George's County. That in turn, they argue, would lead to more vehicular traffic than the area's narrow streets can handle and increased parking problems.

Article Source: http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Alternate-Alexandria-Waterfront-Plan-Coming-Today-132882298.html

The presentation of the report will take place at 6 p.m. at the Athenaeum at 201 Prince Street. The unveiling will be preceded and followed by a reception. The plan will also be available on CAAWP'swebsite.

OTJ's New Blog Post

Enviva's Green Story: How OTJ Designed a Company's Headquarters to Reflect Its Commitment to Sustainability

MAR29

Written by: otjblogger 
3/29/2011 3:13 PM  

As one of the world’s leading biomass energy companies, Enviva sustainably sources energy-rich wood residues and transforms them into renewable fuels like Wood Chips, Mini Chips, Micro Chips, and Wood Pellets for industrial and utility-scale energy applications. Since Enviva biomass is carbon-neutral, customers who use their renewable fuels significantly reduce their carbon footprint and achieve independence from the price volatility of fossil fuels. Enviva’s motto expresses their dedication: “We help our clients build a sustainable future.”



Since Enviva’s mission and business practices as a company are directly tied to the well-being of the environment, the goals for their new office space were no less dedicated. One of the primary goals in moving their headquarters to Downtown Bethesda was to reduce carbon emissions by locating their offices in a dense urban environment with access to major public transportation and walk-able amenities. Furthermore, more than 60% of their staff was living in the greater Washington, DC area and commuting to their previous offices in Richmond, VA. This new location for Enviva would house closed and open offices, conference rooms, pantries, and open work areas – all with direct visibility to the exterior environment and natural light.




7200 Wisconsin Avenue is a twelve story, Class A office building constructed in 1986 and has a total gross square footage of 269,014 square feet. In addition to the existing parking garage, the building provides an area for bicycle storage, showers in the penthouse for tenant use, and a large recycling collection center. The building also features terraced setbacks and curved window walls on all sides with spectacular views. The landscaped urban plaza has a sculpture pavilion, clock tower, trellised walkways, terraced waterfalls, sculptured seating and flower gardens. The Lobby is surfaced in rose granite, mahogany and bronze and has vaulted ceilings. The building has state-of-the-art 24-hour computerized energy management and monitoring system.



Several of the primary elements for meeting LEED points were incorporated into this unique design. For example, all of the carpeting, flooring, laminate surfaces and ceiling tiles were made with recycled content. The drywall was made in part with paperless lining, and specialty materials included 100% Reclaimed wood floors salvaged from an old barn in North Carolina and a PaperStone countertop made of layers of recycled paper. There were many unseen materials with high recycled content as well - including ceiling tiles, metal studs, insulation and drywall. All paints used for the project contained little or no volatile organic compounds (VOC), and the flooring in all workrooms and pantries was made with recycled/recyclable materials with eco-responsible pigments (instead of petroleum based products). Rubber base was substituted for standard vinyl throughout the project as well.



Energy efficiency and waste reduction were two major components of the LEED design strategy as well. The latter included mini-recycling stations being placed at all pantries and near workstations for ease of use. Each recycling station would separate the paper, plastics and regular debris. They also achieved 85% recycled construction waste with off-site separation. Meanwhile, electrical engineers provided motion sensors in all offices and open spaces to activate lights only when needed. Most light fixtures throughout the space are direct/indirect fluorescent fixtures with extremely high efficiency. The HVAC systems save energy through reduced cooling loads while providing fresh air. The faucets were fitted with low-flow aerators at 1.5 gpm and all new eligible appliances were “Energy Star” compliant. To top it all off, Enviva voluntarily purchased 100% green power offset.



All of these elements in Enviva’s new space will create a positive and pleasing environment for the staff as well as the people who maintain the facility. The entire LEED initiative and sustainability goals reflected the same ideology of Enviva’s mission statement - building a sustainable future.

OPX Awarded MC Dean Contract
3/21/2011
OPX was awarded a contract with MC Dean, a large engineering firm headquartered in Northern Virginia, to provide macro concept development, detailed programming and site selection support services for a pending consolidation.

Washington Post: DC'S GREENEST BUILDINGS

D.C. among ‘greenest’ for buildings

Michael S. Williamson/ THE WASHINGTON POST - At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Annapolis headquarters, special sensors turn off the lights closest to the natural light but lights remain on in the rest of the building.

The District leads the Washington region in “green” buildings, according to an assessment that examines environmentally friendly building practices.


 The report, compiled by the group’s planners and presented Wednesday to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, offers the first comprehensive look at how the push to build greener buildings is playing out in communities.

Between 2003 and 2009, the Washington region added about 23 million square feet of LEED-certified green building space through new construction and conversion of existing space. The District led the way, with 72 projects that earned LEED certification, followed by Northern Virginia with 59 projects and Maryland with 40. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification rates buildings based on how well they meet certain green standards for construction and operation.

“We have focused on making the region a national leader in green building,” said Andrea Harrison, chairwoman of the COG board. Several members of the board said they hoped that future reports on green building trends in the region would include recommendations on how to promote projects.

Washington area communities were among the first in the United States to embrace green building principles. Frederick County and Gaithersburg have green building codes on the books, the report says. In 2006, the District passed the Green Building Act, which phased in rules that require buildings to pollute less. That year, Montgomery County officials passed a similar measure requiring certain buildings to include environmentally friendly, energy-saving features such as low-flow toilets.

The District is also considered a national model forgreen construction, said Roger Platt, senior vice president for global policy and law at the U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the LEED certification program.

According to a council report released last month, the District ranked first in the country in green buildings per capita, with about 25 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2010. Nevada — in part because of the density of so many of its building projects — was second, with 10.92 square feet.

Platt said the District ranks high in part because its leaders have embraced green building and because the city and its developers have benefited from a relatively healthy economy and stable workforce in need of office space. In addition, the Obama, Bush and Clinton administrations made commitments to making buildings more environmentally friendly.

“D.C. is a poster child for how, in the last couple of years, high-performance green buildings have continued to be built,” Platt said. It’s “a more sophisticated market, where tenants and investors find [green buildings] appealing.”

Cocktails in an Art Gallery.... Yes Pease!!

From Thrillist: 

Lamont Bishop Gallery

Tapping into the art scene

The art world's never been a dry one, from Van Gogh's epic absinthe benders, to that time when Jackson Pollock accidentally spilled his cranberry juice over all those canvasses. For a new spot letting you enjoy art whilst getting similarly loose, check out the Lamont Bishop Gallery.

Just opened and named for the owner's art school mentor, Lamont Bishop aims to p-arty, showcasing "the nation’s emerging contemporary artists with budding collectors" in a converted old butcher's shop with an exposed brick front room gallery under the original '20s tin ceiling, and a back room with a lacquered birch bar and custom-crafted rolling DJ booth, because who wants to listen to a DJ who isn't? To get the creative juices flowing, the bar's armed with three taps (one's pouring Batch 19), French Pierre Ferrand Cognac, and cab, merlot, and chardonnay from Cali's Wooden Bottle Wine (actually comes in a wooden bottle). Oh also, there's art there too, with the first, currently running exhibition being UMD-grad Annie Kielman's multimedia multi-dimensional work, which ranges from a black skate deck anchoring elaborately flowing sheets of black foam, to the "Control Top" installation, consisting of coral-like structures sprouting from the walls and made from nylon stockings stuffed with Styrofoam bean bag balls.

Up next, they'll be hosting an exhibit called "Exposed: The Polaroid Retrospective II", which'll feature photos from 26 different artists taken on Polaroid cameras.

Read more: http://www.thrillist.com/bars/washington/dc/20001/mount-vernon-sq/lamont-bishop-gallery_lounges#ixzz1GbRLBp3F

FEATURED PROJECTS   ON THE BOARDS    HOTELS    SPAS    MULTI-RESIDENTIAL    ForrestPerkins To Design Interiors for Five-Star St. Regis in Amman, Jordan     Working With Al Maabar and Starwood Hotels on Mixed-Use Development   Washington, DC (March 2011) - ForrestPerkins, the international architecture and design firm, has been awarded the interior design for the St. Regis Amman and The Residences at St. Regis Amman in Jordan by Al Maabar Abdoun Real Estate Development Company. This five-star luxury hotel and multi-residential project will mark St. Regis' first entrée into Jordan.ForrestPerkins is honored to have been selected for this project and to be working with Al Maabar Abdoun Real Estate Development Company and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Stephen Perkins, AIA, ISHC, co-founder and principal of ForrestPerkins, is inspired by the project. "The ancient and modern history, natural and urban fabric, culture and rich traditions of this important international city offer a rich lode of influences for the design of such an important new development," he says. The new St. Regis Amman will be located in Abdoun, an exclusive neighborhood of Amman that is home to many embassies and ambassadors' residences. The hotel will feature 270  guest rooms, including 91 suites, four restaurants and a supper club, a café, ballroom, bar, pool and pool bar, spa and fitness center. The Residences at St. Regis Amman will include approximately 80 branded units. ForrestPerkins will design the one- to five-bedroom apartments, lobby, fitness center and gourmet shops within the residential segment of the development. ForrestPerkins' successful work in luxury hotels and multi-family residences is known for its stunning sophistication and beauty balanced with practicality. The firm has designed and/or renovated more than 100 luxury hotels and multi-family residences worldwide, including two of the premier hotels in the Jabal Omar Development Project in Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.ForrestPerkins also designed the first showroom to open in the Middle East for Kohler Interiors Hospitality (KIH). This elegant showroom was developed with Quartet Specialized Furniture, KIH's regional franchisee, in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ForrestPerkins, which has offices in Washington, DC, Dallas, Texas and San Francisco, California will provide the interior design services for the St. Regis Amman and The Residences at St. Regis Amman, and New York-based Perkins Eastman Architects (no relation) will be the Architect of Record. The Al Maabar Abdoun Five-Star Luxury Mixed-Use Development is scheduled to open in 2014.  CONTACT:   Trish Donnally 202.478.8810, ext. 150 tdonnally@forrestperkins.com

ORRESTPERKINS-designed JW Marriott Hotel Featured on The Today Show

FEATURED PROJECTS   ON THE BOARDS    HOTELS    SPAS    MULTI-RESIDENTIAL FORRESTPERKINS-designed JW Marriott Hotel Featured on The Today Show    JW Marriott San Antonio Is One of Travel + Leisure's Favorites for Spring Break Family Getaways Washington, DC (March 2011) - ForrestPerkins designed the spectacular JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa in Texas that was the first hotel featured on The Today Show, when it recently highlighted Travel & Leisure's suggestions for "5 Spring Break Getaways for the Family." Nilou Motamed, features director for Travel + Leisure, said the hotel "has everything you would want on the property." The new LEED-certified resort, which is the largest JW Marriott resort in the world, includes 1,002 rooms, seven unique dining options, a breathtaking spa, two championship golf courses and even a water park on the property. Click on either image below to watch: Another ForrestPerkins-designed hotel, The Nines in Portland, Oregon was also featured on The Today Show recently, when it highlighted Travel & Leisure's World's Best Hotels for 2011 in January. Follow the link here to see the fashionable Nines, a Luxury Collection Hotel that is LEED-certified and includes 331 rooms located within the top floors of the iconic Meier & Frank building, a former department store: Take a look: The Today Show Featuring the Nines  CONTACT:   Trish Donnally 202.478.8810, ext. 150 tdonnally@forrestperkins.com www.forrestperkins.com Director of Communications ForrestPerkins