The Collection at R Street, exterior
The O2R trend, or Office to Residential conversions, has indeed gained momentum, especially in downtown areas facing high office vacancy rates. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted both office and multifamily demand, with remote work becoming widespread and urban amenities losing appeal temporarily.
During the pandemic, remote work became the norm for many office workers, prompting some to relocate to suburban or more affordable areas where they could have space for a home office. Simultaneously, multifamily renters in expensive downtowns sought more affordable housing options, further exacerbating the vacancy rates in urban centers.
However, as pandemic restrictions eased in early 2021, there was a notable resurgence in multifamily demand. Urban amenities became desirable again, leading to a sharp decline in multifamily vacancy rates. Conversely, the rebound in office demand was not as strong. The shift towards remote work persisted, causing office vacancy rates to continue rising.
Furthermore, the preferences for office spaces have evolved, with a growing demand for modern amenities and structures such as higher ceilings and usable rooftops. Older buildings that lack these features are struggling to attract tenants, leaving them vacant or underutilized.
In response to these trends, property owners and developers are increasingly exploring O2R conversions as a viable solution to repurpose underutilized office space. By converting vacant offices into residential units, they can tap into the growing demand for housing in urban areas while addressing the oversupply of office space. This adaptive reuse not only revitalizes aging buildings but also aligns with the changing needs and preferences of urban dwellers in the post-pandemic era.
It’s not easy to do an O2R. Office buildings weren’t constructed to be lived in. Some buildings have no parking and others have too much. The financial challenges are daunting. Most building codes are written for new construction. And the list goes on.
But when the stars align, some buildings are perfect candidates for O2R.
Teass \ Warren Architects, a Washington, DC-based architecture and interior design practice recently designed two O2R conversions where everything came together, and the projects made both financial and practical sense to undertake. While both projects had unique challenges, they were able to overcome them and deliver new residential units in areas desperately in need of housing.
The first project located in the Tenleytown / Friendship Heights neighborhood was a boutique scaled mixed-use building containing office over ground floor retail. Close to American University, this project targeted students as rental housing with small apartments.
The second project, located in Shaw, is a condominium conversion of office and headquarters of a non-profit organization that had adaptively reused a historic schoolhouse.
The built-in Murphy bed saved space in the 4709 Wisconsin Office conversion to small apartments targeting students.
Why These Projects Worked
Sometimes older is better. In the case of 4709 Wisconsin, the original building was constructed in 1937. For the Schoolhouse of The Collection at R, the structure was originally constructed in 1883. It was converted to office use in 1985. These buildings predated the reliance on artificial ventilation systems, air conditioning, and artificial lighting. This is important because they both were configured with relatively narrow floor plates and had exterior exposures that provided direct ample access to natural light and ventilation. This remains critical even today environment. While there are some exceptions in the code which allow for internal bedrooms, Teass \ Warren generally encourages natural systems and access to daylight, as it promotes the health and well-being of residents. Exterior perimeter walls also allow for simpler routing of ventilation, outside air intake, and shorter exhaust duct pathways.
Despite having an odd trapezoidal lot shape, the original office layout of 4709 Wisconsin combined with a large courtyard located on the northwest corner, and the narrow footprint worked well for small studio apartments and compact two-bedroom units. This mix was ideal for the target market of college students either living alone or with a roommate.
4709 Wisconsin Office to Residential Conversion Plan
In the case of The Schoolhouse, the original building was originally configured as an eight-classroom building. This layout worked well for four apartment units per floor that are located off a central circulation spine.
The units here are generous and are meant to appeal to a clientele looking for family-sized units as an alternative to a traditional rowhouse dwelling, which is more typical of this neighborhood.
These two buildings also predate the dominant use of concrete or steel frame construction, and are primarily constructed out of wood with masonry bearing walls. This allows for easier alterations and reconfiguration. Even if structural steel components are required to pick up new loads, it’s a lot easier than demolishing rebar, concrete slabs, or drop panels, or cutting out steel beams and columns. From a carbon sequestration standpoint, they also have a lighter impact on the environment. Adaptive reuse of existing structures is a better environmental option when it can be accommodated.
Of Course, There Were Challenges
4709 Wisconsin Avenue — The ceiling heights of 4709 Wisconsin Avenue were a little above eight feet, lower than Teass \ Warren would have used with a new market-rate building. But the costs to increase the finished clearance would have been prohibitive. Additionally, construction over an existing retail space required the demolition of ceilings and extensive rework to install new systems and plumbing hookups.
The change of use also triggered a requirement to fully sprinkler the building, including the existing retail spaces. This resulted in an upgrade of the fire water service for the building, which was an expensive undertaking that put additional financial pressure on the project.
In addition, the DC Zoning Regulations also mandate a bicycle storage room for any building with eight or more units. On a building of this scale and configuration there is little practical area to provide space for bikes. Therefore, the bike storage room had to be in the middle of the first residential floor of the building, which was not ideal.
Structurally, the original masonry bearing walls of the Schoolhouse were in a pinwheel configuration. These bearing walls conflicted with ideal unit layouts and ultimately needed to be removed. However, these walls supported girder trusses that acted as supports for the roof and attic floors as well as braced the exterior masonry walls. With the demolition of the bearing walls, these trusses needed to be supported with new posts. Extensive temporary shoring was required to keep the roof intact and the site safe during construction. Teass \ Warren incorporated remnants of the truss to celebrate and tell the story of the original building.
The attic story was converted to bedroom use but needed egress windows. In addition, Teass \ Warren sought exterior spaces for the top units. Given the historic landmark status of the building, new dormers were not an option, so they created outdoor spaces by carving into the roof with a “reverse dormer”. This arrangement provided exterior access and the carved-out spaces were not visible from the street due to the angle of the line of sight and the parapet. These unique outdoor spaces permitted emergency egress and rescue openings from the bedrooms as well as needed outdoor spaces for the units.
Competition for outdoor area at grade was complicated. Due to zoning regulations, one parking space was required for two dwelling units. This requirement was quite constraining, particularly given the proximity of public transportation. The outdoor mechanical units also needed to be located at grade because the historic roof structure was not able to accommodate the units. Trash storage also compressed opportunities for exterior space at grade, but we did provide occupiable outdoor areaways for three of the four cellar level units.
One additional challenge was the limitation on the number of units. In the case of the school, there is a zoning constraint that requires 900 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit, resulting in a maximum of 12 units. Given the large amount of buildable area provided within the building, this requirement feels arbitrary. Likely, the structure could have accommodated another 8-10 units. Given the proximity to many neighborhood amenities and robust infrastructure, the limit of units is an unnecessary constraint to the production of sorely needed housing units and forced the owner to build larger units that are priced on the higher end of what the market can absorb.
O2R Conversion to Small Apartments Targeting Students
Conclusion
Office to residential (O2R) conversions can be great projects for adaptive reuse and the introduction of missing middle housing, but it depends on many factors. These particular buildings had good bones, strong financials, and neighborhood amenities to make it work. But even in the best of circumstances, O2Rs can be tough to navigate. It takes the expertise of a talented design team, a great general contractor partner, and a courageous owner to make these projects a success. When the necessary conditions are met and the conversion is executed effectively, it can breathe new life into underutilized office spaces while meeting the demand for housing in urban areas.
Photos: Courtesy of Tease/Warren Architects
About Teass \ Warren: Teass \ Warren Architects is a Washington, DC-based architecture and interior design practice which focuses on empathetic, well-detailed buildings that enhance and complement the built environment. The studio approaches a wide variety of project types, including singlefamily, multi-family, mixed use, commercial, and institutional buildings with a rigorous design process that incorporates program, site, organization, wellness, sustainability, and form. The firm is a DC-Certified Business Enterprise. To learn more about Teass \ Warren Architects, visit http://www.teass-warren.com.
