AFRH-W Master Plan
PRESERVE/scapes was contracted to the General Services Administration and Jones Lang LaSalle as the preservation subject matter expert for the redevelopment plan and master plan for an 80-acre federal parcel in Washington, DC. The land, which is part of a nationally significant historic district, was slated for private mixed-use redevelopment through a 99-year ground lease. The Master Plan was charged with balancing several factors including local planning objectives, the federal agency’s revenue targets, the developer’s vision, challenging post-COVID market conditions, local community input, and historic preservation. The Master Plan was subject to multiple levels of local and federal review.
PRESERVE/scapes worked with a multi-disciplinary team on all aspects of the project including:
The solicitation and interview process for selection of a development team
Negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding for local zoning on federal land
Federal compliance activities and design reviews
Public outreach and consultation
Drafting and review of planning materials, including design guidelines’
Document coordination, production and delivery
The resulting plan calls for the preservation of historic landscapes and adaptive reuse of several key historic buildings that anchor 4.9M square feet of new construction. The urban design of the new construction is informed by the historic context of the campus while furthering the city’s vision for the campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
PRESERVE/scapes worked with the client and team to incorporate preservation into the approach to transportation, sustainability, and urban design. PRESERVE/scapes also collaborated with the developer’s preservation consultant to revamp the existing design guidelines for the redevelopment to be both performance based and better informed by the context of the surrounding historic district. These guidelines are written to guide the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board in understanding and responding to the preservation and design objectives for the site.
In addition to the planning work, PRESERVE/scapes was responsible for all Section 106 review for the project, leading outreach and consultation with over 20 consulting parties. PRESERVE/scapes also coordinated the federal design review process with the National Capital Planning Commission and Commission of Fine Arts and was a key participant in a multi-stage coordination with the DC Office of Planning.
PRESERVE/scapes was also responsible for coordination and production of the final 134-page deliverable in Adobe InDesign.