1050 Ripley Street (Updated 4-19-07)
By Silver Springer • Apr 16th, 2007 • Category: Real Estate
A work of art? Far from it! Simply put, it’s another bland, conservative design by Wehie Design Group (WDG Architects). After designing 8515 Georgia Ave and to a lesser extent the Silver Spring Gateway, WDG decided to take a nap at the helm. The result will be an inundation of uninspired architecture all over downtown Silver Spring, one of the rare areas designated as an Arts and Entertainment distrcit by the state.
Responsible for designing a large portion of projects proposed in Silver Spring, it shows recently that WDG is definitely not putting their best work here; the architecture is so bad they won’t even feature them on their website. Midtown Silver Spring, Cameron House, the original 8711
1050 Ripley is a continuance of watered down designs from WDG. The 306,114 square foot will contain 3,068 square feet of ground floor retail, 335 residential units, preferably apartments according to the developer Washington Property Co. of Bethesda. The project will stand 160’feet and 16 stories but could go as high as 200’ feet. It will be directly facing its neighbor Midtown Silver Spring, the twined 200’ feet, 20 story condominium towers being developed by Kettler, the development company formerly known as KSI. The residential market continues its downward spin, conditions are still ripe for office development in Silver Spring but someway, somehow residential projects continue to trickle down the pipeline.
The developer Washington Property Co. is known for commercial real-estate and its holdings of office buildings including the new L.A. Fitness complex (the first in the Washington Area) and 8757 Georgia Ave. But the firm has decided to make a foray into the residential market in bad timing and on a site that is more suited for a larger, taller office building, and mixed-use project.
Letting free minds reign isn’t working
These tepid designs have become such a problem that, it’s about time an architectural review board was implemented into the planning department. Unfortunately, letting free minds reign isn’t working and downtown Silver Spring is going to be paying the price for the next 50 years.
Perhaps this isn’t a viable option but then how do we encourage better architecture? Some would like to say beauty is in the eye of the beholder but my eyes have seen better from WDG and I’m sure they know this as well, not all architecture is created equal. Perhaps some of the blame should go to the developers in charge. With low budgets when it comes to Silver Spring and always wanting to “maximize spaceâ€, we often end up with boxes with windows, no curvilinear forms, no crowns, sometimes they’ll even forego balconies where there should be. Not to say all the architecture in Silver Spring is bad, Discovery and the NOAA buildings are nice and contrary to what a lot people (who don’t live here) think, the Downtown Silver Spring project isn’t an eye sore but that’s about it. This wouldn’t be tolerated in other jurisdictions around the D.C. area; I can point to Prince George’s County and go as far to say that they get better architectural designs as a whole than Silver Spring. What is it about this place that brings out the bland?
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I’m glad you mentioned that some (or all!) of the fault could like with the developer. There is always a very interesting game of egos that goes on with real estate developers.
One one hand you have those like Discovery or United Therapeutics who say “mine will be the best, with the best architect, making the best statement for posterity”–and we get great architecture.
At the other extreme, you have developers like that of The Crescent, Cameron House, downtown Silver Spring, etc. who give us crap like 1050 Ripley Street and we roll our eyes and say “please, not another one”.
Occasionally, we get developers like Home Properties, whose Falkland Chase mega proposal falls mid-range and we are mostly pleased, but left a little underwhelmed.
Some say beggers shouldn’t be choosers–after all, just a few years ago, downtown Silver Spring was a dump. But that was then, and this is now. We deserve better.
I don’t see nothing wrong with the building. Its just a bunch of bitter folx that want Silver Spring to continue to look like an Eye Sore Dump that is traped in the 1950’s…….
This building design looks very similar to what the Crescent Condos look like…it’s not horrible, but c’mon have some originality.
Did these architects come up with the Crescent?
Went to an informal open house at the Crescent last Saturday. Most apartments had strange angles requiring very creative interior decorating.
Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out onto Wayne Ave garage or (even worse) dilapidated apartment building on Bonifant St.
And what the hell is that colossal metal-pipe thing in front of the building?
Project is an unfortunate use of space.
Comment by Woodsider
Made Monday, 16 of April , 2007 at 7:35 pm
Why would I pick 1050 Ripley Street over Midtown Silver Spring?
This is what I don’t understand; surely by now developers are aware of how many residential projects are being planned for the CBD?
The Silver Spring market has become highly competitive; the bare minimum isn’t going to cut it. Outside D.C., there isn’t an area in this region that has more proposed projects in such a short time frame and in 2 1/2 square miles. I believe Silver Spring has more residential units underway than Baltimore.
Developers think they can get by with the bare minimum in Silver Spring…well not anymore. If they proceed as planned they have a rude awakening in store for them.
I’m not sure who’s doing they’re market research for them but they really got it wrong, to suggest that conditions favor residential over all else is just flawed, especially in today’s market.
If I was planning a project in Silver Spring, I would allocate additional funds towards the design or forget it, because there are so many other projects in the pipeline that mine would simply get lost in the pack if I didn’t try to stand out.
Prince George’s County also throws a wrench into the whole thing. If the “lowly” demographics of Silver Spring is the justification for cutting corners on projects, please explain why Prince George’s which has been neglected for decades for numerous reasons is finally getting investment and it’s turning out to look better (on a whole) than what’s proposed in Silver Spring.
Silver Spring Penguin Wrote: And what the hell is that colossal metal-pipe thing in front of the building?
Believe it or not, that colossal metal pipe thing is an arbor, in the shape of a crescent…get it…”crescent”. I didn’t get it either until I looked at the building’s logo in their advertising.
For the pedestrian, that arbor is the only thing that gives this plain-jane building any visual interest at all. If they grow vines all over it then it might even be cool looking enough to detract from the 16 (?) stories of blandness above.
“Comment by Silver Spring Penguin
Made Tuesday, 17 of April , 2007 at 11:26 am
Did these architects come up with the Crescent?
Went to an informal open house at the Crescent last Saturday. Most apartments had strange angles requiring very creative interior decorating.
Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out onto Wayne Ave garage or (even worse) dilapidated apartment building on Bonifant St.
And what the hell is that colossal metal-pipe thing in front of the building?
Project is an unfortunate use of space.”
Definitely an unfortunate use of space. Just imagine if a true mixed use project was on that site. A two level retail building with a large anchor at the ground floor with office and residential on top. That would have definitely drawn people down Fenton and Georgia. But instead they couldn’t even place balconies where they were supposed to go.
Perhaps the Prince George’s county planning dept values design more than the Montgomery County planning dept, their projects just come out looking better overall. I know they don’t have an architectural review system but they do give some guidance as to what the overall project will look like.
Or perhaps we got the bargain basement developers of the D.C. area in Silver Spring.
Woodsider wrote:
So are they going to grow grape vines over that thing? BTW, Daily Photo’s got a pic of the “arbor” on his site.
They should have put an office building on that site.
When we seem to have so many concerned and informed citizens on the matter of the future of Silver Spring architecturally, how about you with the key blogs (Silver Spring Scene, Silver Spring Singular, Penguin, Just up the Pike, South Silver Spring, Silver Bee) get together, form a concerned citizens community, take on a more “activist” role and be the voice of the community (a la “The Birchmere” effort). Why not petition the County Board, contact the developers etc. and push hard for your concerns regarding the future this community, rather than just all this navel gazing on the blogosphere. Just up the Pike, I commend you for your activism, and maybe you could spearhead this effort.
Why, thank you, but I’m not the only one who’s been pounding the pavement in Montgomery County.
That aside - is Prince George’s County really getting better-designed projects? University Town Center - already the site of three office buildings designed by Edward Stone, who did the Kennedy Center - will be the site of some very innovative buildings, and I can think of National Harbor as an example just because of the scale of the project, but on a County-wide scale, they’re getting some pretty mediocre stuff as well. I’d argue that the Midtown Largo Town Center condos are definitely a cut below anything Kettler is doing/has done in MoCo. Or how Ryan Homes can keep building the same neo-Colonial crap when MoCo has Clarksburg and King Farm?
I’m not sure why the new apartment buildings in Silver Spring are all so mediocre (but hey, they might look okay when finished), but then again, our neighbors aren’t that better off.
“Comment by anonymouse
Made Wednesday, 18 of April , 2007 at 9:47 am
When we seem to have so many concerned and informed citizens on the matter of the future of Silver Spring architecturally, how about you with the key blogs (Silver Spring Scene, Silver Spring Singular, Penguin, Just up the Pike, South Silver Spring, Silver Bee) get together, form a concerned citizens community, take on a more “activist†role and be the voice of the community (a la “The Birchmere†effort). Why not petition the County Board, contact the developers etc. and push hard for your concerns regarding the future this community, rather than just all this navel gazing on the blogosphere. Just up the Pike, I commend you for your activism, and maybe you could spearhead this effort.”
Anonymouse, there is more that goes on behind the scenes than you know. If you’re interested in the issues you should come out to the Silver Spring Advisory Board meetings at the Regional Center. If you need more info let me know, we could sure use another voice in support of what we’re advocating for.
”
Comment by thecourtyard
Made Wednesday, 18 of April , 2007 at 10:26 am
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Oranges to Oranges, Midtown Largo Town Center has more style than the Silverton or Newell Street. Like you said University Town center is getting some cutting edge designs and some good traditional looking ones too, funny how WDG is designing some of that too. I can also point to Woodmoore Towne Center, Greenbelt Station and even some projects like the ICON in Suitland that are at the least handsome designs and look like more care and attention are paid to them.
Even with a low budget you can make a box look good, it doesn’t automatically equate to greater architectural detail or expensive materials.
Architecture is a reflection of social values; average designs tell outsiders that Silver Spring is average. How can an arts and entertainment district receive such mediocre architecture when the opportunity rises? We can’t keep saying “it’s a reflection of taste†or “It’s in the eye of the beholderâ€. You can just tell when there is a lack of effort. We need to do a better job of encouraging better designs, were simply accepting whatever is thrown at and we’ve given up with out even a peep of how we really feel.
The aforementioned example of successful community activism in Silver Spring :
http://www.silverspringforward.org/
[...] in downtown Silver Spring and the latest participant is Washington Property Company and their 1050 Ripley Street. Despite the heavy market downturn and a tsunami of residential/apartment construction, the [...]