Once the repair shop where L.B.J. took his car for servicing, New Union Garage now encompasses three spacious, contemporary, and sustainable condominiums. The original 100-year-old brick building stands within blocks of the U.S. Capitol in Northeast Washington, D.C. The garage’s age and prime location meant developer Sean Ruppert needed to earn approval from two historic review boards, even though the nondescript structure he bought in 2015 looked nothing like its 1906 version.
For the first meeting with the citywide review board, Ruppert took 10 different concept drawings of his proposed renovation and addition to the historic garage. All of them included restoring the brick façade complete with a copy of the mural announcing the building’s name. This initial round of review narrowed proposals to those with additions looking obviously new, but also fading into the background.
The neighborhood preservation society, on the other hand, required historic details to fit neighborhood context. After eight months of negotiations, Ruppert and his architect, Gregory Sparhawk of GPS Designs, finally won the approval of the two highly particular review boards. The finalized design for the second-story addition features zinc siding panels set in an oversized brick pattern with black steel-framed windows placed in a classic Federal-style sequence. The combination of modern materials with classic detailing achieves a look that’s different without being out of place in the traditional surroundings.
A courtyard sits just behind the original brick façade, enhancing the new addition’s disappearing act and offering first-floor residents a private outdoor space. The original building covered the entire lot, but the new apartments had to meet current setback codes, so the courtyard resolves that issue as well. During restoration, Ruppert’s team discovered something surprising about the historic structure.
“The garage walls are 2 feet thick of solid brick and not sitting on a foundation,” Ruppert explains. “We built an internal steel skeleton, so nothing rests on the original brick. It could be taken away and the building would still stand.”
The ground-floor unit shown here enjoys nearly the full height of the original garage. Eighteen-foot-high ceilings allow for expansive public spaces and create cozy private areas on the mezzanine level. Ruppert isn’t kidding when he says the condo has five or six sets of stairs. An elevated platform sets off the dining area within the open living spaces. A sunken area in one of the bedrooms serves as a cozy sleeping nook.
All units include three bedrooms and two and a half baths and each also enjoys private outdoor space: the enclosed terrace on the ground floor, a large balcony for the middle unit, and a roof deck for the penthouse. Although Ruppert often selects classic black and white color schemes for his projects, he opted for a more neutral palette here. Light wood floors throughout meet mostly white walls. Finish materials and fixtures in the kitchens and baths are also rendered in pale hues.
Two green-planted roofs abate stormwater runoff. The mix of drought-resistant plants set in absorbent material holds about a day’s worth of rainfall. Groundwater, meanwhile, flows into 2-foot-deep trenches beneath the tree boxes. These water containment measures are just part of the project’s green profile. Repurposing the existing building and fitting three dwellings onto a less than 0.1-acre lot also up the environmentally friendly aspects. Energy Star appliances and WaterSense certified fixtures top off the sustainable features.
“It’s impossible to do a project like this without being green,” Ruppert says, “And it’s just the way we do business.”
Project New Union Garage
Gold Nugget Category Grand Award, Best Multifamily Housing Under 18 du/acre
Location Washington, D.C.
Architect GPS Designs, Washington, D.C.
Builder/Developer OPaL, Cabin John, Md.
Interior Designer P Four, Alexandria, Va.
Land Planner CAS Engineering, Frederick, Md.
Unit Size 2,100 to 2,250 square feet
Site Size 0.1 acre
Price $1.7 million to $1.9 million
View more 2017 Gold Nugget Awards winners and coverage here.
