WDG

Check out Canstruction Dallas at NorthPark Center to witness this year's Wild West Theme. This event supports the North Texas Food Bank in their mission to fight hunger in North Texas. Last year’s Canstruction raised over $10,000 and nearly 125,000 pounds of canned goods. The structures were a collection of art, music, and sculptures, including our very own Bob Ross rendition.

Representatives from WDG were on hand in Springfield, VA, last week to witness the ribbon cutting at the Springfield Community Business Center (CBC) Commuter Parking Garage! The new six-level, state-of-the-art parking facility will open to the public on Sept. 14th, offering 1,100 parking spots with free daily commuter parking, a transit center with 7 bus bays serving Fairfax Connector and Metrobus routes, a pedestrian/cyclist bridge over Old Keene Mill Road, a 66-spot secure bike room with 40 additional bike racks, spaces for ridesharing, designated commuter slugging area, rooftop solar arrays, and a top deck featuring a green roof plaza for community events, arts, and fitness classes. This facility will improve local commutes and enhance connections throughout Fairfax County! Speakers at the event were Doug Loescher, Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, Jeffrey McKay, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman, Rodney Lusk, Franconia District Supervisor, Bill Cuttler, VDOT, Monica Backmon, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and Chris Herrington, Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Congratulations to our partners on this successful and impactful project! Fairfax County Government, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services, Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, Manhattan Construction Group, ParkerRodriguez, Inc., Gordon, Virginia Department of Transportation, GHT, Walker Consultants, Code Red Consultants, RIB U.S.COST, Froehling & Robertson, Inc., Wells + Associates, Lerch Bates Inc., Architectural Grilles & Sunshades, Inc., Bowman Consulting, Buro Happold. #springfieldva #fairfaxcounty #vdot #commuting #keepvirginiamoving Read more about the Springfield Garage from FFXnow here: https://lnkd.in/etgShQXb

Last month, WDG celebrated the formal opening and ribbon-cutting of Union on Knox, College Park's newest mixed-use student housing complex. Union on Knox has 341 units and 788 beds with opulent facilities, a massive grand staircase, and 24,000 square feet of retail space with 331 parking spaces. We're happy to report the building is now operating at 92% of its first year, and new leases are coming in every day! Congratulations to our clients Greystar Development team, and owners at Terrapin Development Company. A special thanks to our consultants at Lee and Associates, Inc, SK&A Structural Engineers, John Moriarty & Associates, Soltesz, & Bowman Consulting for your collaboration and expertise.

The Emerging Architects Committee (EAC DC) August monthly meeting featured a drawing session with emerging professionals from WDG on the rooftop of the MLK library. Participants enjoyed the opportunity to illustrate the cityscape in their works followed by a light competition in a sketch off. The seminar concluded with a discussion on the importance of sketching in contemporary architectural offices and how hand drawing is still an essential tool for ideation and communication during the design process. The combination of discussion and real-world application made for an engaging experience for all participants.

To involve high school students interested in architecture, the Emerging Architects Committee (EAC) and the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) have joined forces. During one of the sessions at this event, WDG’s very own Shrudi Raveendran Assoc. AIA and David Villarreal, Assoc. AIA introduced students to the committee and their perspectives on what it's like to be an up-and-coming architect. The student body, which comprised both foreign and domestic participants, gained an understanding of both architecture and the profession. They also got to act as judges for the kids' design projects, which is the main objective of the program. These students have a great chance to investigate architecture and its potential.

A couple of updates to round up August! WDG's staff architects took part in Bisnow's Building D.C.: Innovations in Construction & Development Summit held August 15th. The event covered several important topics, including integrating new building processes, cutting labor and material costs, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in architecture to coordinate MEP and automate repetitive tasks. Other topics discussed included prefabricated buildings, the rise of data centers, improving project efficiency, and the preference for conversions over new construction. Options for sustainable development that prioritize the creation of built environments were also examined, along with the difficulties in securing funding for development initiatives. Stay tuned for more from WDG!

VERVE West Lafayette is open, and already fully leased for the 2024-25 school year! Congratulations to our client, Subtext on this fantastic student living community! The 7-story, 400,310-sf VERVE West Lafayette brings 751 beds to the Purdue University campus, along with bountiful amenities, like the lobby slide, and ground-floor retail space for two restaurants and a high-end bodega. Special thanks to the project team: Ankrom Moisan, AJC Design Group, Brinkmann Constructors, Viewtech Structural Engineers, TBIRD Design Services Corp, Solutions AEC, R.T. Moore, Lake Effect Engineering, Huston Electric, Inc, Coffman Engineers, InfiniSys Multifamily Technology. #StudentHousing #StudentLiving #SubtextLiving #VERVEWestLafayette #PurdueUniversity

As the next school year approaches, it is time to bid farewell to our summer interns! For two months, McKenzie Cleveland and Reilly O’Grady collaborated closely with professional designers and managing partners of WDG in our internship program focused on NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP). Daily interactions with real-world scenarios provided them practical work experience ranging from concept to production, including problem solving and management. They participated in special projects, created presentation drawings, attended client and consultant meetings, and shared their opinions and ideas throughout the process! We've had an amazing summer working with McKenzie and Reilly in our offices, and we are grateful for all their hard work.

Learn more about our design for the award-winning Clarendon West multifamily development. Alexan Fitzroy and The Earl Apartments make up this multi-phase, three-building, LEED Gold? project. https://lnkd.in/eM5rgCii Photo by Alan Karchmer #multifamily #residentialdesign

At WDG Architecture, we are proud to be part of Mintwood Real Estate's Oakhouse project, one of the first completed under the Dallas Public Facility Corporation. This project aims to create and preserve mixed-income housing in the city, using a funding structure that provides a property tax exemption. Mintwood Real Estate, the PFC, and New York-based MSquared partnered on the project. The property offers both essential and market-rate housing, providing a luxury feel with easy access to the Bishop Arts District. SWOON, the studio designed the interiors, including a first-floor library and pool lounge. This project showcases our commitment to innovative, community-focused urban development.