The D.C. District Department of Transportation Materials Testing Laboratory combines respect for historic architecture with a commitment to modern performance and sustainability. The project, located within the McMillan Park Reservoir Historic District of Washington D.C., combines previously separate locations into a single, unified campus that better serves the agency鈥檚 operational needs. The new one-story addition, carefully set back from McMillan Drive and the original building, sustains key sightlines to the adjacent reservoir and surrounding historic district.
Our design preserves and restores the original 1910 building while adding 10,000 square feet of modern laboratory, office, training, and support spaces. The roof and red brick exterior walls of the historic structure are meticulously restored to reflect their original character, while new construction replaces outdated modular lab structures to better support DDOT鈥檚 operations.
Though designed to meet LEED Silver standards, the project earned LEED Gold certification for sustainable building design by using water-efficient fixtures, maximizing daylight access, reducing a heat island, and using green power. The lab features new offices, training rooms, testing labs, a staff lounge, and ADA-compliant facilities. Site improvements incorporate native, drought-tolerant landscaping, preserved mature trees, and reductions to the parking footprint to create a greener campus.
