Now that the summer is coming to a close, here are number one best and worst on their respective lists. Enjoy! Disclaimer.

Developer: United Therapeutics Corporation

Architect: Schick Goldstein Architects PC of Washington. D.C.

Property Address: 1110 Spring St, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Project Specifications:
Gross Floor Area: Approx 213,032 sq\ft
Site: Approx 2.19 acres
Office Space: Approx 148,598 Sq\ft
Lab Manufacturing Space: 48,434 Sq\ft
Retail Space: Approx 16,000 sq\ft
Height: 90′Feet
Stories: 3 to 8 Stories
Parking: Approx 23 spaces

The largest photovoltaic cells inside the beltway, intensive green roofs, an influx of ground floor retail and arguably the most striking piece of modern architecture in Silver Spring; perhaps the entire region in recent history. Incredible! Those are just a few amazing aspects of the United Therapeutics Corporation Headquarters, a project that swept past the rest to become the #1 project. The decision was easy, this is an advanced, genuine state-of-the-art facility that incorporates the latest technologies in building design and will become the primary facility for a biotechnology firm. There are no major cut-backs, no moaning and groaning excuses about meeting objectives in the project because “It just didn’t work out” or “We couldn’t obtain the required points”. In many cases they went above and beyond. This is a true testament of a mixed-use project, so far so good!

United Therapeutics is building their headquarters at the corner of Cameron and Spring Streets. They have offices in England, Massachusetts, Florida, North Carolina, Chicago and Washington, D.C. but the Silver Spring office is their main facility. The company focuses on producing drugs to combat orphan diseases and has become one the most consistently profitable biotechnology companies in the state.

Phase one of the project is complete. It consists of a rare use lab\manufacturing facility. Phase two will include the corporate offices spanning across two parcels reaching eight floors. The two separate offices will be connected by a pedestrian bridge at the seventh floor designed to look like DNA strand\Double Helix or “Silver Spring”.

16,000 square feet of retail will be at the ground floor, which is one of largest amounts out of all the projects in our competition and is quite considerate given the location. Even the public use requirement was imaginative (as far as outdoor plazas go). According to a Gazette article, “In the works are a Bio Wall and BioWalk of Fame: a large, MCI Center-type screen that will play science- and health-related videos, and glass cubes etched with names of Marylanders who have contributed to the life sciences. The cubes, high enough to sit on, will be scattered throughout a public plaza and will light up and make noises depending on how people are walking toward them in a “symphonic light experience,” [Paul] Mahon [United Therapeutics executive vice president] said, in hopes of providing a “flavor of wonder” to the area”

Even if you don’t have a personal taste for the architecture, you have to appreciate the effort that was put into it and acknowledge that it is inspired. The sustainable elements like the photovoltaic cells were well integrated into the overall design; they were crafted to play a central role in the architecture. This is a true high performance building. Instead of the usual blocky building designs typical of the Silver Spring CBD, curvilinear forms dominate.

The economic and social impact of this project is immense. The expansion solidifies Silver Spring as a business hub and destination adding dozens of jobs and thousands in revenue. This social impact relayed through the interactive plaza, retail and architecture. It also crosses to a state level with the manufacturing facility that pushes the state of Maryland towards its goal of becoming the drug manufacturing capital of the world. This was a well thought out project that had high expectations. Finally, like other parts of the region, someone thinks Silver Spring deserves the very best.

Developer: 1203 Fidler Lane, LLC (Patriot Group\Centex Homes)

Architect: AR Meyers & Associates of Silver Spring

Property Address: 1203 Fidler Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Project Specifications:
Gross Floor Area: Approx 170,000 sq\ft
Site: Approx: 0.68 acres
Dwelling Units: 158 residential dwelling units including 24 MPDUs
Height: 139′feet
Stories: 13
Parking Spaces: 80

The Portico actually tied with the Crescent for this position. The two Patriot Group projects couldn’t pull their weight (although the Portico was sold to Centex homes after the fact). The Portico’s architecture is satisfactory nothing too great or too bad but some may disagree but that’s about where it ends. No arguing that better could have been done. If only we could graft the architecture of the Portico onto the Crescent and it might have made the Best list.

The public use requirement was very unimaginative and is an absolute waste of space, plus it isn’t very public either. Even the Cameron Hill Owners Association ridiculed the pocket parks as a cop-out. The developer got a density bonus for providing 15% of the units as MPDUs but it doesn’t help their case that they tried to pass all of them by as efficiency units. The Patriot group has a history of being reluctant in providing adequate MPDUs. The project will contain no retail but looking back, the original plans called for a six story structure that included 2500 square feet of retail.

Average isn’t going to cut it in such a completive field and the Portico is sub par. I have to wonder, do the developers know how many or what projects they’re competing against? I have about 6,000 residential units from over 20 projects within two and a half square miles of one another to choose from and their all being planned at about the same time. This doesn’t include conversions or projects right outside the CBD either. We can already see some projects faltering because potential buyers are not interested in uninspired projects. Those in less than desirable locations should have the common sense to spend the extra 5% on better architecture or diversifying their portfolio with a genuine mixed use project. Adding sustainable design elements is a big plus.

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