With its planned new D.C. headquarters, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority wants to be an “employer of choice” by delivering a “great staff experience” and providing “variety and choice” while future-proofing its assets.
That strategy in mind, spelled out in documents submitted to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, expect 300 Seventh St. SW to feature a lot of glass, plus on-site retail, “inviting” landscaping and generally a more welcoming experience than what you’ll find now at downtown’s outdated Jackson Graham Building.
WMATA acquired the 150,000-square-foot 300 Seventh St. SW, across the street from the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station, in November for $51.3 million. It is key to Metro’s consolidation program, under which it expects to save $130 million over 20 years by reducing its office footprint and dispersing some 3,000 employees across three main office buildings in D.C., Alexandria and New Carrollton.
Under the concept produced by Studios Architecture, the Southwest D.C. building’s precast facade and low-light windows will be removed and replaced with a “high-performance curtain wall” heavy on glass. Three floors, 20,000 square feet each, will be added, bringing the building to 11 stories plus a new 9,500-square-foot penthouse, totaling roughly 227,000 square feet. A rooftop terrace will offer views to the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol.