Award of Merit Residential Hospitality: Plaza West
by Mission First HousingENR MidAtlantic 2019 Best Projects
Plaza West
Washington, D.C.
Award of Merit
Owner: Golden Rule Plaza Inc. Properties; Mission First Housing Group; Henson Development Co.
Lead Design Firm: Hickok Cole
General Contractor: DAVIS Construction
Civil Engineer: VIKA
Structural Engineer: SK&A
Subcontractors: Goldin & Stafford (Excavation); Manganaro (Masonry), Mars Construction (Drywall), CB Flooring (Ceramic Tile); Integrated Contracting Group (HVAC and Plumbing)
Washington, D.C.’s first affordable housing residency for low-income grandparents raising children without a parent present was conceived by the founder of Bible Way Church. The project repurposed a strip of land near Interstate 395, but because developers couldn’t secure contiguous lots for the project site, designers were left with seven oddly shaped lots of land. The team overcame the challenge by making use of every inch of secured property. It even managed to wedge an outdoor recreation area and community vegetable garden into otherwise unusable land.