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“Huddle rooms” with colorful graphics. Photo © Tom Harris of Tom Harris Photography

The construction of the two-story market building preceded “Our client wanted a building that feels cutting-edge but
that of the office tower and was originally intended as a that also fits into the neighborhood,” said Sponseller. “The
Dean and Deluca grocery. However, when the upscale grocer Montgomery County Planning folks deserve a shout-out
withdrew midstream from the project, JBG SMITH decided for supporting a design that delivers that.” Speaking for the
to incorporate the second-story space of the smaller building company, JBG SMITHS’s Kristi Smith said, “Architects need to
into its own corporate offices in the new office building. “We hold fast to their vision but at the same time they need to be
consider our work to include the adaptive reuse of the market capable of compromise. The Shalom Baranes team was a strong
building,” explained Robert Sponseller, FAIA, design principal one and was able to do that.”
at Shalom Baranes Associates. With the change in the use of the
market building, Sponseller’s design team quickly pivoted to Building Lobby and Fitness Center
open up the two buildings to each other by breaking through
the wall to create one continuous interior space aligning at the The building entrance on Bethesda Avenue opens to a soaring,
second floor of each building. light-filled lobby where the sleek, contemporary lines echo the
The office tower has already attracted some high-profile dynamic vitality of the office tower design. The lobby design
corporate tenants such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Host Hotels is by ZGF Architects, the firm that has been tapped to design
and Resorts and there is expansive lobby-level space for retail Amazon’s HQ2 at National Landing and where JBG SMITH is
and an anticipated restaurant tenant. The 291,000-square-foot Amazon’s landlord and development partner.
building boasts not only floor-to-ceiling windowed office space Underfoot in the Bethesda Avenue lobby is marble flooring
and airy ceiling heights of 9 feet 4 inches, but amenities worthy detailed with herringbone inlays while overhead a wood-slatted
of trophy building status: a 3,600-square-foot fitness facility, two ceiling sparkles with small lights. As a backdrop to the reception
outdoor terraces, and conference space. The building is targeted desk, a copper-and-steel mesh wall provides glimpses of the
for LEED Gold certification. floating stair behind. This translucent metallic wall extends
up one level to the JBG SMITH offices and down one level to

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