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ArchDC Winter 2017.qxp_Fall 2017 11/17/17 5:49 PM Page 38

Washingtonian Award

John and Jill Ker Conway
Residence
Washington, DC

DLR Group

Structural Engineers: SK&A Structural Engineers
MEP Engineers: Allen & Shariff
Civil Engineers/Landscape Architects: christopher
consultants
General Contractor: GCS-SIGAL

Washington residential architecture doesn’t get much
more forward-leaning than this: a design concept that
engages an adjacent historic church, delivers glassy
stacked and skewed blocks offering residents views
toward the US Capitol and the National Mall, provides
outdoor terraces, and is located in the hotter-than-hot
NoMa neighborhood. Surprisingly, here the fortunate
occupants are not the city’s one-percenters, but rather
homeless veterans and other low-income tenants.
The John and Jill Kerr Conway Residence, a project
nearly ten years in the making, provides 124 efficiency
units in a 14-story building at North Capitol and K
Streets. Designed by Suman Sorg, FAIA, design leader
and senior principal at DLR Group, the project is an
inspiring example of low-income housing that values its
residents and contributes to its community. Studios range
between 390 and 405 square feet, and each includes a
sleeping alcove and kitchen that opens to a living/dining
area with large windows ensuring light-filled interiors. The
residence also includes a conference room, a computer
center, a fitness center, as well as space for on-site medical
and social support services.
The residence’s exterior silvery white metal paneling
and distinctive staggered blocks make it a head-turning The John and Jill Ker Conway Residence,
standout among the more traditional surrounding as seen from North Capitol Street.
buildings. As part of its focus on affordability, the design Photo © Robert Benson Photography
team cut wasted interior space to an absolute minimum,
chose partially prefabricated window systems in place A communal space for residents.
of the more costly glass curtain walls, and made other
budget-conscious decisions that diminished neither the
beauty nor durability of the completed building.
One of the groups behind the residence is
Community Solutions, a New York-based nonprofit
committed to housing the homeless. Jill Ker Conway,
noted Australian-American author, corporate leader,
and former president of Smith College, co-founded
Community Solutions in 2011.

The John and Jill Ker Conway Residence was previously
covered in the Summer 2017 issue of ARCHITECTUREDC.

38 LIVING ARRANGEMENTS
Photo © Robert Benson Photography