The Irwin Gets a New Look (Again)

• December 8, 2011
• 6 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

Latest rendering of The Irwin

UrbanTurf has been following the design twists and turns of The Irwin, a six-story, 53-unit apartment building planned for the vacant lot at 1328 14th Street NW (map), south of Rhode Island Avenue. Architecture firm Torti Gallas has been revising project plans over the past several months in response to feedback from ANC 2F.

Original rendering for The Irwin

Originally the project was going to have a modern, glass-heavy facade with jutting bays, which the ANC development committee felt didn’t fit in with the rest of the buildings on the street. A second design revision incorporated a more traditional skin of red brick masonry while keeping the entry canopy and rooftop towers.

Last night, the firm presented a third design option for the building at the monthly ANC meeting, which will have The Irwin sit flush against neighboring buildings with a yellow brick facade. The entry canopy and rooftop terrace from the original design were maintained. UrbanTurf was unable to attend the meeting, so if anyone knows how the latest design was received, let us know in the comments section.

Second design revision of The Irwin

At an August ANC meeting, Sarah Alexander of Torti Gallas said that the apartments would be mainly studios and one-bedrooms, ranging in size from 500 to 600 square feet, and the project would have a large internal courtyard, a common roof terrace, a fitness center, bicycle storage and parking for about a quarter of the units. There would also be 4,100 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.

The Irwin will join a slew of other residential projects planned for the 14th Street Corridor.

Renderings from Torti Gallas and Partners.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_irwin_gets_a_new_look_again/4732

6 Comments

1. Nick Barron, ANC 2F02 Commissioner said at 2:17 pm on Thursday December 8, 2011:
   ANC 2F voted 3-2 last night in favor of recommending to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) that they approve The Irwin. The HPRB hearing is scheduled for Dec. 15 at approximately 12:45 p.m. On the community level, The Irwin will come before ANC 2F's Community Development Committee (CDC) in January seeking support for zoning variances, which includes a parking variance. The CDC will meet at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Washington Plaza Hotel. You can always reach me via email at 2f02@anc.dc.gov with any questions, or @nbarron on Twitter. I also tend to tweet from, or immediately after, ANC meetings with updates on major projects like The Irwin. Thanks for your coverage!

1. Paul said at 6:57 pm on Thursday December 8, 2011:
   FWIW, I do think the latest design is easily the best.

1. Evan said at 8:23 pm on Thursday December 8, 2011:
   Wow, I guess I shouldn't blame Torti Gallas for these BLAND designs anymore, as I finally see how the community board takes a modern, interesting, and progressive design, and molds it into the same old garbage DC has way too much of.

1. Marco said at 9:14 pm on Thursday December 8, 2011:
   So, now it looks exactly like the Matrix condo up the street. Is that what the ANC is meant to ensure? Architectural conformity? If so, well done! JESUS

1. Fabian said at 4:45 pm on Friday December 9, 2011:
   Interesting and contemporary designs are often quashed by committee, however the first two designs of the Irwin do not fall into that category. They're bland, out of place, and overly massive. The 3rd design better compliments the scale and eclectic historical/warehouse style of the lower part of 14th Street. It's a welcome replacement to a parking lot and auto garage.

1. Eric K said at 7:17 pm on Friday December 9, 2011:
   This article is the perfect example of how the relatively boring architecture, that everyone on these blog hates, evolves to be in this city. The first design may not have been perfect, but at least it was a little bit different. The latest looks basically like everything else being built now.