Page 70 - ArchDC Fall 2018

ArchDC Fall 2018.qxp_Fall 2018 8/27/18 8:35 AM Page 68

Upper-level terrace. Another problem, obvious enough for a building
over a river, was flood resistance. With the exception of
boat dock areas and the Fish Market, all of the Wharf
was deliberately positioned at a minimum of 13 feet
above the 100-year flood plain—the height at which no
special design response is required. The existing surface of
Pier 4, however, is about 2 feet below the flood plain, and
given its landmark status and its function as a working
dock, it couldn’t be raised. “We did a deep dive into the
science and law of flood proofing,” recalled McGraw.
The architects, along with staff of the developer PN
Hoffman, sat through seminars conducted by the
National Flood Insurance Program.
The first floor of the building is covered in concrete
block, grouted solidly to at least 18 inches above the
flood plain. Windows have high sills. Where doors were
necessary, attachments for temporary “aqua fences” are
installed; in the event of a flood, the panels will be put in
place, sealing off the openings. The design team also
ensured that base utility services and mechanical systems
would resist flooding via special sealants and connectors.
Other curious challenges arose. “One might think,
given that the building is literally above the water, that it
would be exempted from the city’s and DC Water’s
stringent stormwater management regulations,” said
Bagnoli, “but one would be wrong.” Pier 4 has substantial
green roof areas and other measures to prevent the vast
majority of rainwater from going into the river. These
measures contributed to the building’s impressive LEED
Gold certification, as did maintaining the existing canopy
and pier structures. Also, various tourist boats—an
increasing number, in fact, as Spirit of Washington boats
relocated gradually from Pier 3—continued to operate
throughout the construction period, necessitating a
program of ever-shifting temporary walkways.
Hacking successfully through the thicket of standard
and unique approvals and unusual engineering problems
is a significant accomplishment on its own merit. Yet the
architectural form of the building seems so effortless that
most people have no inkling of the challenges overcome.
The basic shape of the building, including the rounded
corners, was set by the pre-existing canopy. StudioMB
intuitively added setbacks and fenestration patterns to
“break the layer-cake look,” said Bagnoli, “and to allude
to a boat, but no portholes. This is architecture, not ship-
building.” The rhythm of vertical window mullions and
aluminum panels at the second and third floors plays
against the general horizontality.
The one place where vertical proportions dominate
is the short northern end, which contains the office lobby.
It was necessary to locate the lobby here, with gates
securing the rest of the pier, because all unaccompanied
and unticketed persons entering the pier are required to
carry Coast Guard-issued credentials. Originally the
canopy connected to the headhouse, but the architects
sought to create a gap both for aesthetic reasons (keeping
the rather dowdy headhouse clearly separate from the
new pier building) and to provide an additional layer of
movement control.

68 PEERLESS PIER Photo © Alan Karchmer