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A green-roofed courtyard, with the “Hatteras
Light” elevator tower visible just left of center.
All photos © James and Connor Steinkamp
The first major piece of the master plan to be executed more elaborate arrangements, than standard low-profile
is the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. Perkins+Will, sedum roofs. In another straightforward nod to the
which had done interior design work for the Coast natural setting, fieldstone is used for many wall elements.
Guard previously, won the commission through the For the exterior building façades, a quasi-natural
GSA’s Design Excellence program in 2008. irregularity is a dominant theme: multiple colors in the
exterior materials, asymmetrical facades, deep window
A dip in the hillside dropping down from the historic openings that give dark shadows, and so forth. Up close,
hospital campus is the site for the new building. It is these elements stylishly provide variety and interest,
basically an office building housing a myriad of commands but from a distance, they create a sort of architectural
and administrative services, most of which are secure, a camouflage, helping the building blend into its natural
few of which are “SCIFs”—Secure Compartmented surroundings. Even the night view was considered.
Information Facilities—by definition, at the highest level Usually glazing is mostly designed to control the light
of security. A half-dozen of the historic buildings were coming into a building, but here it equally controls the
repurposed as specialty uses associated with the head- light going out, so that at night the building isn’t a beacon.
quarters: the credit union, fitness center, PX (military
general store), conference center, security offices, and Perkins+Will’s base-building team (in the firm’s
offices for the Coast Guard Historian. The original St. Chicago office) and interiors team (in the DC office)
Elizabeths dining hall was renovated for use as the cafe- worked closely, along with the landscape architect,
teria, the only example of reuse for the original purpose. Andropogon Associates LTD of Philadelphia. The
master plan mandated red brick and punched windows
The green swath of the Anacostia Ridge is a subtle to relate to the historic hospital complex. Perkins+Will
but very important asset to the city. It is only about 120 complied for façades that face outward, but, in a bril-
feet tall, but in warm months it forms part of the green liant departure, used extensive glass on most of the
fringe surrounding the “bowl” of downtown DC. Perhaps courtyard-facing facades. Ralph Johnson, FAIA, LEED
the greatest challenge of the site was to place a large AP BD+C, design director at Perkins+Will, described it
building in the middle of this swath, and accordingly in geological terms: “It’s almost like a geode, solid on
almost every aspect of the exterior design responds in the outside and crystalline on the inside.” This was
one or more ways to the goal of reducing the visibility an inspired move. Not only is the glass much more
of the building, especially in distant views, according to effective as architectural camouflage than red brick,
Perkins+Will’s senior designer for the project, Thomas but it smartly capitalizes on the site’s views, and sets
Mozina, AIA, LEED AP BD+C. an appropriate tone for the modern, high-tech
Coast Guard.
The most direct response is the expansive vegetated
roofs, most of which have much larger plants, in much
esita Fernández
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT 21
