Boilermaker Shops Washington, DC
Services Provided
Outdoor Dining
Design
Landscape Architecture
Documentation
People Involved
Jonathan Fitch
An historical industrial facility is reimagined as an important hub for retail and dining, integrating the building and the surrounding landscape with the larger development while acknowledging its historic character and significance
The Boilermaker Building serves as an important historic reference point in the rapidly developing Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, DC. MKSK approached the site design with the intent of complimenting historic materials, providing functional and clearly organized spaces, and celebrating the urban character of the site and building itself.
The site consists of a 50-foot wide sidewalk along Tingey Street, one of the primary retail streets in the neighborhood. The site design seeks to clarify and enhance the way the space is used. A large portion of the 50-
foot sidewalk is separated from the sidewalk and pedestrian thoroughfare by rectilinear planting beds that complement the overall organization of the site. Paved areas adjacent to the building are articulated as a series of textural fields that play on the industrial vernacular of the building.
The design celebrates the capture and conveyance of stormwater through the use of a series of weathered steel drainage channels that collect runoff and direct it to planted areas throughout the site. Overflow is treated by biofiltration facilities integrated in the streetscape along Tingey.
