Howard Town Center
GGA developed a design concept for a two-acre, mixed-use town center near the Howard University campus. Intended to create an architectural complex that would produce a destination defining the nearby campus and surrounding area, the Howard Town Center Project will be comprised of first floor retail space, 350 residential units, a Harris Teeter grocery store, Class A office space and below-grade parking.
The massing of the building is crafted to provide human scale, and create the illusion of smaller buildings within the framework of a large single structure. The break in the continuous street frontage above the podium level provides interest and allows a connection into and across the site. Although this is interpretive to the area’s general planning concept, it is important in providing flexibility, interest in the streetscape, natural lighting and scale in a single large multiuse building. The various functional activities, i.e. retail, office and residential, and scale of the building are carefully articulated to produce human scale along the street facades, maximize natural lighting, and provide interest and excitement for the pedestrian in a highly energized retail setting.
The proposed overall design integrates into the fabric of the urban area and acts as a catalyst for the area and gateway to Howard University. Additionally, sustainable building practices were a key component of the design for the Howard Town Center Project. GGA set out to exceed the standards set by the Washington DC Green Building Act of 2006 by designing to achieve the highest level of LEED certification (LEED Platinum) for the development, construction and operation of the building.
Location: Washington, DC
Type: Mixed-Use Development Project
Size: 800,000 SF