2025 East Best Projects
Award of Merit, Residential/Hospitality: The Elle
The ‘Elle’
Washington D.C.
Award of Merit
Submitted by Michael Graves Architecture
Owner: WILLCO Cos.
Lead Design Firm: Michael Graves Architecture
General Contractor: McCullough Construction LLC
Civil Engineer: VIKA Capital
Structural Engineer: Meyer Consulting Engineers
MEP Engineer: Greenman-Pederson Inc.
Interior Design: Hartman Design Group
Fire Protection and Life Safety/ADA/FHA Compliance: Code Consultants
Subcontractors: Above Green; Construction Specifications Inc.; ParkerRodriguez Inc.; Polysonics; Tadjer-Cohen-Edelson Associates
The $40-million adaptive reuse project transformed an eight-story former office building into residential units that address downtown Washington’s residential shortage, provide new ground-floor retail space and contribute to neighborhood revitalization.
Core drilling sleeves through the existing concrete slabs for more than 300 kitchens and bathrooms demanded precise coordination. Structural offsets near columns had to be strictly followed to protect the integrity of the building while also accommodating wall and plumbing fixture layouts.
During construction, it was discovered that floor slabs varied by as much as 2 in. within a single 20-ft bay. These variations required onsite leveling and close coordination with exterior finish alignments.
After reinforcing the seventh and eighth floors, the team demolished and reconstructing portions of the mechanical penthouse and roof to accommodate additional live loads, creating an innovative new two-level amenity space that features coworking areas, wellness zones and recreation facilities.
Despite these challenges, the project was completed on time and within the original budget.
