LEED-HOMES MR v2010 – LEED Silver
Points: 42.5
Date Certified: February 25, 2019

It’s impossible to find an inch of “boring” in the eight-story apartment community set on Washington DC’s trendy H-Street, located just a few blocks from Union Station. Working with a number of local artists, including Gutierrez Studios, BroCoLoco and Metcalf Studios, the team created a truly unique living experience rich in detail and character.

Coda on H has been certified LEED Silver and has incorporated a number of sustainable design solutions such as intensive green roofs, bio-retention planters, high-efficiency glass, and high-performance rain-screen walls on both the east and west facades. In addition, the orientation of the building allowed the location of the majority of outdoor space on the south-facing side and the use the projecting balconies on that south-facing side as sun-shading devices.

The 95,000 square foot, 8-story, boutique apartment building contains 112 units, 6,500 SF of ground floor retail, and roughly 4,000 SF of amenity space, including a rooftop deck. Coda’s units average 600 SF, with the smallest contained to just 400 SF. These micro units follow an emerging trend to draw residents out of their units and into communal spaces, building a stronger sense of community.

The compact nature of the building has led to the design of creative shared spaces within the amenity areas as well as innovative unit design elements like glass sliding wall panels to make the small footprint more flexible.

Like the micro units, the amenity spaces within the building are an exercise in overlapping program elements. Coda on H has a rear/alley entrance vestibule that doubles as the mail room and bike storage. The main lobby doubles as the leasing office, club room, work space, and potential spill-out space from an adjacent retail tenant. Every inch of the building has a purpose.