Skanska Tops Out DC Water & Sewer Authority Headquarters

WASHINGTON (December 22, 2017) – Skanska marked a crucial milestone with District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) in the construction of the new DC Water headquarters facility with a topping out ceremony. Located on the site of the O Street Pump Station along the waterfront of the Anacostia River in Southeast DC, the new six-story 150,000-square-foot building will feature a sewer thermal system—the first office use of this technology in the US—which will allow DC Water to utilize the city’s sewage as a source of thermal energy to climate control the building.

“It is auspicious to top-out this remarkable project which holds such great promise for our employees and the people we serve,” said George S. Hawkins, CEO and general manager of DC Water. “Sewer thermal is just one example of how this building incorporates innovation and state of the art technology to make our operations more efficient and sustainable. At the same time, bringing our services under one roof will make them more convenient and cost-effective for our customers.”

The new headquarters will feature a fluid architectural shape that wraps around and allows full access to the existing O Street Pump Station. Solar heat gain and glare will be reduced through a unique stepping of the floors while a series of tinted-green glass-sun screens hung from the façade will provide additional control over daylighting. A curving façade alleviates over-abundant daylight, while also responding to the bending frontage of the Anacostia River. 

“With a façade as fluid as the water it manages, the new DC Water headquarters is a building that employs the newest building technologies—some not yet seen in the United States—to become one of the most distinctive and sustainable office buildings in the region,” said Steve Skinner, executive vice president and general manager of Skanska’s building operations in Washington, DC. “Consolidating DC Water’s services and maximizing the use of the O Street property with such an intentional design is an investment that will save money now and for the whole life of the building while allowing room for agency growth and efficiency.”

The bold and distinctive design of DC Water’s headquarters was developed collaboratively by Skanska and its architectural design partner, SmithGroupJJR. In addition to architectural design, SmithGroupJJR is providing MEP engineering, and sustainable design services. Other key design team members include Leuterio Thomas (Oxon Hill, Maryland); JVP Engineers, P.C. (Washington, DC); SK&A Engineers, PLLC (Washington, DC); Wiles Mensch Corporation (Washington, DC); and Oehme van Sweden (Washington, DC).

The building is designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, and also employs many advanced strategies that are expected to surpass LEED certification.

For more information, visit Skanska.