The Washington Building Congress announced that 1331, a 367-apartment building at 1331 Maryland Avenue, SW, in Washington, DC, developed by Republic Properties and built by Balfour Beatty, has won four Craftsmanship Awards in the following categories: Precast Concrete (Craft Employer: Arban & Carosi, Inc); Ceramic Tile and Terrazzo (Craft Employer: R. Bratti Associates); Interior Stone & Marble (Craft Employer: R. Bratti Associates); and Architectural Millwork (Craft Employer: Gaithersburg Architectural Millwork). 1331 won a second prize in the Ceramic Tile and Terazzo category for interiors work designed by WDG Architecture and Aris Tile & Flooring as the Craft Employer. The building's Architectural Millwork was also nominated for a Star Award.
1331 occupies a complex triangular gateway site, highly visible upon entering Washington from the 14th Street Bridge. The building’s architectural detailing strikes a balance between echoing DC's best classical Federal buildings and presenting a residential scale. On the west and north facades, a variety of massing and compositional strategies break down the scale of the facades both vertically and horizontally; large figural window groupings create local symmetries and pavilions. The limestone-colored architectural precast facades are given hierarchy and depth throughout, with reveals and recesses at each window; the rusticated base is articulated with a change in mullion colors, thicker window surrounds, and double-height figures. RAMSA Partners Robert A.M. Stern, Paul L. Whalen, and Sargent C. Gardiner led the design effort. WDG were the architects of record.
The annual WBC Craftsmanship Awards Program celebrates excellence in craftsmanship in the Washington, DC architecture and construction industry, honoring firms that provide exceptional workmanship on buildings throughout the area. Star Awards are given to projects recommended by the evaluator teams, recognized for demonstrating the highest level of quality that exceeds the awards criteria and achieves a level defined as "Exceptional" in one of the following areas: Visual Excellence, Technical Excellence, and Excellence in the Face of Adversity.
