With the 2013 purchase of 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C., the American Enterprise Institute landed an iconic location for its headquarters. But to make the 99-year-old building fit AEI’s needs, a team of designers and contractors had to find ways to expand the available space.
The main challenge was to increase square footage while maintaining the exterior of the five-story Beaux-Arts building—which is a National Historic Landmark—and preserving its historic elements. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which sold the building to AEI, holds permanent historic preservation easements on the interiors and exteriors.