Washington D.C. gets a dose of creativity with new live/work Brookland Artist Lofts.
By Anna Storm
Brookland Artist Lofts (Photo courtesy of Hickok Cole Architects).
Hickok Cole Architects has just put the finishing touches on a new living/working space for artists in the Northeast Brookland neighborhood of the District. Developed by nonprofit Artspace of Minneapolis, Minn., Brookland Artist Lofts is a 78,000 square-foot facility encompassing 41 housing units, and underground parking. Hickok Cole and Artspace hope that the space will provide low-income artists with an affordable place to live and continue their creative work.
The space has certainly been designed with creativity in mind – the Lofts even feature a brand-new dance studio for Dance Place, a nonprofit community dance school and arts center. A shared plaza connects the main building to the performance center, which developers hope will encourage a “vibrant campus” and sense of community between the two facilities. In addition to the Loft’s artistic appeal, Hickok Cole kept the environment in mind when competing their design. DC Greenworks has installed a vegetated roof for the Loft that’s quite literally green – and is an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional roofing.
Ready to move in? Brookland Artist Lofts are currently at 100 percent occupancy, but Artspace is currently accepting names for the building’s wait list. If you can’t wait for a spot to open up, stop by the building at 3305 8th St. N.E. to get those creative juices flowing.
(Photo Courtesy of Hickok Cole Architects)
