When working on an iconic building steeped in historical flare, the key is to get creative.
The location selected as the new home for Clare Locke LLC’s offices was a 1700’s manufacturing building with ties ranging back to the Civil War, right on Old Town Alexandria’s waterfront corridor.
Spanning a narrow brick building and an enclosed adjacent alley, the team was challenged with transforming the divided 9,400 square-foot-space into a unified, bright, and modern law office space with an open layout and an elegant boutique feel. ADA conformance and noise reduction were also major design objectives that were carefully observed throughout.
These were no easy tasks, and not just because of occasional visits from the building’s long line of ghostly tenants. Due to the strict preservation requirements and restrictions set by the Virginia Historical Society, the infrastructure of the edifice could not be altered, and many elements of the construction needed to be salvaged. By working in close collaboration with the landlord to ensure that all requirements were being met, our team combined elements both old and new, effectively creating a charmingly functional working space that pays homage to its rich and colorful past.
The result is a space that celebrates the historic and modern: exposed brick walls, reconditioned wood beams, columns, and flooring, as well as heavy black door framing harmoniously coexist with glass-front offices and an abundance of natural light including windows spanning two floors. Overall flow and accessibility were substantially improved by using existing windows and doorways to create connection points between buildings. A single, orienting staircase further connects the newly unified space. To control noise, offices were placed in building corners and facing paths of travel.
This project is a living testament to the merits of thoughtful planning and intelligent architectural design in the creation of timelessly unique spaces.
Clare Locke was awarded the 2017 NAIOP Design Award of Excellence.
Take a look at all of the current projects by DCS Design for more inspiration.
