2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, Office/Retail/Mixed Use: 17xM
17xM
Washington D.C.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Skanska USA Building
Owner: Skanska USA Commercial Development
Lead Design Firm: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Construction Manager: Skanska USA Building
Civil Engineer: Bowman
Structural/MEP Engineer: Arup
Subcontractors: Anderson Fire Protection Inc.; Arban & Carosi. Inc.; Berkel & Co. Contractors Inc.; Cindell Construction Co.; Freestate Electrical Construction Co.; Goldin and Stafford Inc.; Joseph J. Magnolia Inc.; R & R Mechanical Inc.; Schuster Concrete Construction; Tricord Masonry
This 11-story, 334,000-sq-ft Class A office building is North America’s first SmartScore-certified building, setting a new benchmark for tech-forward office space.
Along with a distinctive K-shape design that enables versatile, customizable floor layouts to accommodate diverse tenant requirements, the building maximizes usable space through column-free floor plans while abundant windows flood interiors with natural daylight.
Environmental obstacles posed various challenges to the project timeline during construction. When rock formations obstructed installation of supportive rakers during excavation, the team worked after hours to remove the rock and keep installation on schedule.
Contaminated soils were promptly assessed, properly disposed of and replaced with clean backfill. Additionally, significant rainfall created water management issues complicated by unexpectedly high pH levels that required immediate attention.
The team removed standing water and implemented pH mitigation, preserving both structural integrity and construction progress. Despite these challenges, the project was completed ahead of schedule and at its $115.7-million budget.
