It has been more than thirty years since the school bells last rang at the Randall School in Southwest DC, but optimism for the future of the historic school is in the air once again.  The Corcoran Gallery, the current owners of the Randall School, have found a new purchaser to take over their project. [...]

(Click to here for large view)
Last month, graphic designer Cameron Booth took a run at redesigning the iconic DC Metrorail map. Proving that you can always build a better mousetrap, his design attempts to rectify some of the aesthetic issues that Booth calls “amateur,” while giving clarity to some important geographical conditions and providing [...]

The fact is we are building in the heart of Washington, DC… we are knitting a new neighborhood into the fabric of Washington DC. DC’s not a made-up place and NoMa is not a made-up place.

Liz is president of the NoMa Business Improvement District in Northeast DC. I sat down with her to discuss [...]

Words and photos by Matt Steenhoek.
Today, it just might be another busy junction to many of the District’s pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, but in the history of the District, the intersection of 14th and U Streets, NW has been center stage for many pivotal phases, a street corner that has seen renaissance, riot, and rebirth,
Sitting [...]

Join the young DC creative community as we raise money & food for the people that need it most – the people of Haiti. We’re going to have amazing art work, great bands and djs. Get involved.

According to Irish lore, finding a four-leaf clover in nature is a sign of good luck. However, finding a similar symbol—the cloverleaf interchange—within the fabric of the city can be a rather unlucky occurrence. A cloverleaf interchange is an unfortunate urban condition and, represents an area that, with a little vision, is ripe [...]

Atlas District’s newest gallery, Industry, opens this Saturday with it’s inaugural show “Round the Corner” by international artist Shlomo Harush. The show will feature twenty unique aluminum and stainless steel works, all conceived and manufactured by Harush by hand. We had a chance to preview the works yesterday, while they were setting up.

You may be [...]

Cross-posted from And Now, Anacostia.

Exciting times on MLK yesterday morning: Big Chair Coffee opened for business! Here are some photos of the opening. I missed part of the morning rush, but got there at about 8 and witnessed a pretty steady flow of customers. Here in Anacostia we’re accustomed to walking or driving down the street with no expectation of anything being open, so I’m sure it will take a little time for the place to really fill up. But this is hot.

What if you were asked to design a visitor center for the White House? What if you had only fourteen weeks to do it and no formal architectural training? And what if you had to present your plans in the Great Hall of the National Building Museum to a panel of critics? [...]

A hernia. A napkin ring. A poached Easter egg. A hot air balloon. Bubble gum about to pop. Call it what you like, the proposed temporary expansion of the Hirshhorn Museum has stimulated a lot of discussion since the New York Timesbroke the story on December 14th. Yet despite the varying interpretations of the form, one thing that can be agreed upon is that the Hirshhorn’s proposed expansion could add a playful, even whimsical, element to the otherwise stoic National Mall.

[ January 22, 2010; 9:00 pm; ]

Fathom Creative moved from their office in Dupont to their location in Logan Circle a few months ago. They had a daunting task, to transform a brake shop into a mixed-use creative space. They have successfully turned a commercial rowhouse into 3 spaces.

The building has quite some history. It was originally built in 1885 as a fine wines and groceries distributor. Then starting in 1915 it went through various automobile related uses, as 14th became known as “auto row”. Now as 14th Street becomes known as a “creative corridor’, 1333 14th Street is now suited for a different purpose.

Documenting the beautiful classical architecture of DC.

The one that sparked the DC Height Limit. I love the sculptural details, like the gargoyles and intricate relief at the entrance. From Wikipedia:
The Cairo apartment building, located at 1615 Q Street NW in Washington, D.C., is a landmark in the Dupont Circle neighborhood and the District’s tallest residential [...]

The View 14 condo-turned-apartment project is nearing completion and has begun leasing. From the just-released press release:
View 14 is a 185-unit contemporary building offering a choice of unique studio, 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom and den, 2 bedroom and premium / duplex residences. Most apartment homes feature floor-to-ceiling glass windows; outdoor living space with sweeping city [...]

Despite the largest recession in decades, development along DC’s 14th street corridor marches ever onward. This time, we’ll be saying goodbye to the empty lot at 14th and R streets NW, as a 7 story mixed-use condominium from Bonstra Haresign architects takes its place.
14th and R

Modeled after the “showrooms of the former automobile row”, [...]

Well the time has come to drop the “[beta]” at the end of ReadysetDC. We are going to officially launch on December 10th. Come celebrate with us at the beautiful, newly re-opened Long View Gallery. The event includes an art show, with the works of ReadysetDC photo contributors Tracy Clayton, Paul Frederiksen and Lillian Cho, [...]

Documenting the beautiful classical architecture of DC.

This is a new weekly feature that was inspired by a conversation with Dr. Nir Buras. He is the man behind McMillan Two, which calls for narrowing the Anacostia, extending the L’Enfant street grid to both sides of the river and building many more bridges. He is a Classicist, and [...]

I’m excited to see these guys work on Cork Market, because for a while there we couldn’t see construction. They are getting ready for business, as you can see from the permits. The place is located at 1805 14th Street NW (b/w Home Rule and Pulp DC), on what used to beEl Paraiso Market. One [...]