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View of the rear courtyard from above. Note the diagonal lines cutting across the space. Photo © Jeffrey Sauers

Working with a project team including Jean-Baptiste In one respect, the plan harks back even further—to
Lallement, Christena McCabe, and Uli Dietz, Colbert the French hôtels particuliers, or grand townhouses of the
created a distinctly 21st-century building that recalls neoclassical period, which often toyed with perceptions
many aspects of the avenue’s historic landmarks. The of symmetry on irregularly shaped sites. In the case of
new project, known simply by its address, 5333 5333 Connecticut, the H-shaped plan was adapted to
Connecticut Avenue, is a bright essay in glass and white respond to the unique geometry of the lot. The footprint
metal. This is no mere plain glass box, however—the of the building generally adheres to DC’s basic north-
façades are highly varied. The street-facing façades are south/east-west street grid, while the front face of the
composed of layered grids, with projecting bays and northern wing parallels the diagonal of Connecticut Avenue.
horizontal bands that cast shadows, thus lending depth To compensate for this asymmetry, white, wrap-around
and interest to the building. The façades lining the rear “picture frames” reach across multiple faces and floors of
courtyard, by contrast, are more solid, but still animated the building to rebalance the proportions, while adding a
by an irregular pattern of windows and balconies. geometrical flourish to the principal façades.
While the building is utterly fresh in its architectural More subtly, the architects also inserted a comple-
expression, its plan and massing draw heavily from earlier mentary diagonal line slicing through the center of the
precedents. It is essentially H-shaped in plan, creating not building. The line enters the building out front, via the
only a rear courtyard (which serves as a buffer between north wing’s inside wall, passes through the lobby in the
the building and neighboring single-family houses on the form of floor openings to the lower lobby, and continues
side streets), but also a front entry court much like those across the back courtyard as a water channel. This diagonal
of earlier buildings along the avenue. A sleek glass serves to unite the interior and exterior public spaces of
canopy reaches out from the front door to meet a staple the building, while introducing a dynamic element that
of elegant neoclassical and Art Deco apartment buildings: creates a sense of event in those spaces. Spanning the
the circular driveway. crossbar of the H-shaped plan is a tall bank of windows

66 GEOMETRY AND GEOGRAPHY