As part of a larger vision for Washington D.C., we developed a comprehensive plan to convert underutilized federal buildings and campuses into highly sustainable and livable neighborhoods—a proposal that won an AIA DC Unbuilt Washington Award.
Today, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) campus is situated in Southwest Federal Center—a centrally located, yet disconnected neighborhood defined by the major vehicular-dominant thoroughfare, 14th Street. With BEP slated to relocate to Maryland, the site presents a rare opportunity to catalyze change at an urban scale and reinvigorate this downtown area.
Our proposal reimagines this congested infrastructure into a pedestrian promenade that introduces a series of indoor and outdoor public amenities, while also creating a walkable connection from the National Mall to the Tidal Basin, the Wharf, and Potomac Park. BEP’s current facilities—the Main Building and Annex—would be converted from office to mixed-use, with a focus on housing and public amenities that would activate a 24/7 neighborhood.
