Page 42 - Winter_2018

ArchDC Winter 2018.qxp_Winter 2018 11/27/18 9:36 AM Page 40

Atrium of the Greencourt Innovation Center. Photos © Julia Heine/McInturff Architects

Award for Excellence in Adaptive Re-Use

Greencourt Innovation Center
Rockville, MD

McInturff Architects
Landscape Architects/Civil Engineers: Stantec Consulting
Services Inc.
Structural Engineers: 1200 Architectural Engineers
MEP Engineers: James Posey Associates
Lighting Consultants: Hartranft Lighting Design
Acoustical Consultants: Acoustical Design Collaborative
Code/Life Safety Consultants: Capitol FPE
ADA Consultant: Todd Andersen Front façade.
General Contractor: Meridian Construction Co.
Occupants.” The new third floor has just one level, allowing for a
substantial mezzanine space over the middle existing building and
Transformation is always an exciting thing to witness—the more
affording an almost-hidden space for mechanical equipment.
extreme the better. It doesn’t get much more exciting, therefore,
The building is also notable for achieving LEED Gold (Core
than McInturff Architects’ revitalization of three ugly-duckling
and Shell) certification. Reusing the existing warehouse helped, as
warehouses in the chock-a-block Parklawn Drive area of suburban
did the relative proximity to the Twinbrook Metro station. Other
Montgomery County, Maryland. One could hardly ask for a
key contributors are the large green roof and “optimized energy
homelier “before” or a more thrilling “after.”
performance” made possible by an intensive use of Building
Although the project reflects innumerable tasteful aesthetic
Information Modeling (BIM). McInturff’s team digitally modeled
choices, most of the major moves stemmed from practical necessity.
every piece of the building, including the actual elements of the
For example, the trusses serve the vital purpose of upgrading the
mechanical system and individual bolts of steel connections. This
structure’s resistance to lateral forces, and the bridge resolves an
level of modeling is immensely time-consuming and thus rarely
emergency egress issue. The stairs, elevator towers, and ramps
executed, but it allowed a degree of control over the details that
animate the atrium lobby, but also resolve a myriad of accessibility
often eludes loft-style buildings.
issues caused by the misalignment of the existing buildings’ floors.
Greencourt Innovation Center was previously featured in the
The circulation system also earns a LEED point for “Design for Active
Fall 2017 issue of ARCHITECTUREDC.
40 BUSINESS ACUMEN