An anchor and icon, Plaza Lofts 22 is the heart of a major new mixed-use development in Hyattsville, MD. The new residential building takes full advantage of its existing site constraints while fulfilling the owner?s vision for a distinctive focal point for the new town center development.
This distinctive, unabashedly modern building is distinguished by its two sail-like facades which give the structure a sculptural quality. The zinc cladding chosen for the exterior is rarely used in the United States, which made it an obvious choice for creating a distinctive design. Weighing less than comparable alternatives, the zinc serves a dual purpose by lightening the structure?s load.
Much of the building?s form was a response to a structural challenge: it sits on top of an existing underground garage with 60-foot column spans. The most effective, and economical strategy to achieve this was to incorporate a floor-to-floor truss into the structure to span the distance between supporting columns in the garage below. This also minimized typical floor assembly depth and provided column-free retail space on the first level. The fact that the building?s East/West facades essentially "hang" from the truss?they support no load?made the delicate curves possible. A green roof overhead lessens the building?s impact on the environment while offering the much taller surrounding buildings a more aesthetically pleasing view.
The strong verticality of the East/West windows contrasts against with curves of the zinc fade, while the playful configuration of windows on the North/South elevations were determined by the structural system and the configuration of the interior units. Second floor units open to large terraces leading to guest casitas separate from the main structure. Inside, clean modern lines and upscale, contemporary finishes complement the two-level loft spaces. Large asymmetrical windows frame interesting views and large diagonal structural members reveal the solidity of the construction.
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