165-Unit Project Planned For One of the Highest Points in Columbia Heights

• January 23, 2015
• 2 Comments

by UrbanTurf Staff

Early rendering of planned project at 1309-1315 Clifton Street NW.

A six-story residential development of between 160 and 170 residential units is on the boards for one of the highest points in Columbia Heights.

The project, from Aria Development Group, would be located at 1309-1315 Clifton Street NW (map), down the street from Cardozo High School. It would consist of a new building at 1309 Clifton Street NW and the renovation of an existing building at 1315 Clifton Street NW. The project architect is Cunningham|Quill Architects.

Plans for the breakdown of apartments would include studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, both market-rate and affordable units. There would be 36 underground parking spaces and 90 bicycle parking spots.

Aria Development Group presented the design of the project to an ANC 1B committee earlier this week, and plans to submit a consolidated planned unit development to the Zoning Commission in the coming months. In other words, it will probably be awhile until we know if the biggest project to come to Columbia Heights in recent memory is actually happening.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/165-unit_development_planned_for_one_of_the_highest_points_in_downtown_dc/9442

2 Comments

1. skidrowedc@gmail.com said at 9:23 pm on Friday January 23, 2015:
   The façade design seems solid, if not particularly exciting. Perfect materials and detailing would be critical. The top cornice in particular is not quite there: too small and too minimal. It looks impoverished, especially in comparison the sizable, highly detailed cornice of the existing building. Curiously and accidentally, the two photographs for the article suggest a simple remedy for the lack of excitement: warp the walls a bit. The fold in the first image produces the illusion that the façade has an interesting convex shape, whereas the fold in the second image suggests a subtle concave shape. Either would relate to the existing building, where the double bays with gently angled sides suggest the gentle warp of a sinuous curve. The curves (either one) would be sufficiently subtle that there wouldn't be much effect on sellable square footage, and with the exception of the cornice, there would be no serious technical/construction obstacles. Something Cunningham-Quill and Aria should consider.

1. Nathaniel Martin said at 2:30 am on Tuesday January 27, 2015:
   Skidrowedc's comment about the accidental warping of the facade in the photographs is pretty funny, but also spot-on. The facade composition seems competent, but ultimately quite dull. It could use a little something extra.