1700 Pennsylvania Ave NW is notable for its proximity to the White House and National monuments in DC. Rugo renovated this iconic building to be one of the most recognizable office buildings in the city.
The rooftop terrace features three serpentine stone benches with a waterjet-cut gray granite floor, inlaid as tiles. The benches are solid stone with varying dimensions and thicknesses, 1′-6″ to 1′-10″ tall, with ramps and twists to make a serpentine shape.
The serpentine benches were all modeled in 3D. They were drafted in 2D and 3D for approval and to communicate the setting plan to the field crew. Our team worked closely with the stone fabricator and was continuously involved in selecting, approving, and fabricating the benches. The pieces were cut, dry-assembled to hit accurate elevations and alignments per design, and then finished with the texture needed.
Since the design required the stone, tile, and wood trades to coordinate with one another, our team coordinated every step of the installation with the GC and the other trades to ensure accurate and successful installation. Our team waterjet cut plastic templates and provided them to the trades to accurately lay out the stone benches.
Rigging the solid stone benches to the rooftop terrace was a challenging task given the project’s location in the heart of the city. We partnered with a rigging company to develop a plan to perform the work on a Saturday when the traffic would be more manageable. We measured job site conditions and prepared renders to show the crane’s proposed position and loading and handling plans to obtain the owner’s approval. We then hired a 10,900 lb capacity crane to carry the stone benches. All the parameters such as the crane’s position in relation to the building, the angle of inclination, the height of the boom extension, and the rotation on an axis were pre-calculated precisely and executed per the plan.
Location: Washington, DC
Completion Date: 2021
Owner: Akridge
Architect: Mahan Rykiel Associates
General Contractor: The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Services Performed: Rooftop Exterior granite benches and paving. Design, Consultation, Supply, Rigging and Installation.
Size: 8,700 Sqft
