Firm： KUBE Architecture

Type： Commercial › Office

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2012

This Capital Hill rowhouse is home to the Washington office of the Computing Technology Industry Association. Previously the space had been dark and uninviting, with insufficient lighting and mechanical systems. The goal was to create a sustainable interior of light and order that would represent this forward-thinking and technologically savvy company.

The existing structure is divided by a central stair, with offices defined as additive volumes (glass boxes) in the front, and carved-out spaces in the rear. All have full-height glass walls to the main corridor, providing a sense of light and air to otherwise small spaces. The conference room, which had been in the basement, is now a glass-enclosed volume on the main floor adjacent to the entry space. A folding wall along one side allows flexibility of use for larger events. Cove lighting wraps from wall to ceiling, creating a glowing rhythm of folding planes. The main staircase, although in the same location as before, is completely transformed into a sculptural volume that mediates between the front and rear portions of the building. An existing skylight is framed within a new layered ceiling.

Sustainable materials and systems were used throughout, including bamboo floors, recycled rubber, fluorescent lighting, tankless hot water heater, and no-VOC paint.