This 30,000-sq-ft training and maintenance center supports a streetcar system created to link neighborhoods in the nation’s capital. The structure connects the city’s past and future via a context-sensitive exterior that complements an adjacent historic campus. The team used multiple high-performance sustainability features, including grass tracks and permeable pavements that collect stormwater for reuse in washing streetcars. Other sustainability elements are: native plantings, energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, automated exterior sunshades incorporated into the facade and a terrace and green roof shaded by one of three photovoltaic panel arrays.

Large windows and sawtooth skylights bring natural light into the interior, where there are spaces for technical training, streetcar operations management and equipment maintenance as well as community interaction. Operable skylights and low-velocity, high-volume overhead fans eliminate the need for mechanical cooling in the maintenance bay. Radiant floor slab heating provides a comfortable working environment in cooler months. Designed and constructed to accommodate the stakeholders’ interests, the multi-purpose building was completed under budget and on time in approximately 28 months.

Related Article: ENR MidAtlantic's 2018 Best Projects: Region’s Top Work Sets High Bar