Architects

Davis Brody Bond

Location
Washington, DC, USA
Category
Pavilion
Architect in Charge
Peter Cook
Project Advisor
Will Paxson
Project Designer
Rob Anderson
 Saint Elizabeths East is on its way to becoming a
viable mixed-use, mixed-income community. Once the
site of St. Elizabeths Hospital which provided
mental health care to the US military dating back
to the Civil War, the campus has been
decommissioned and transferred from the federal
government to the District of Columbia.
 Today the 180-acre site provides a setting for
public, private, and institutional investment.
 the 180-acre site provides a setting for public,
private, and institutional investment. With the
planned consolidation of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) and location of over 14,000
employees on the West Campus, the redevelopment of
St Elizabeths East has become a critical project in
realizing the District’s goals of cultivating an
innovation-based economy.
 Saint Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion, is a multi-
purpose structure providing a venue for casual
dining, a farmers’ market and other community,
cultural and arts events.
 The Pavilion, spread over a two-acre plot of the
campus, creates an instantly iconic, visible and
welcoming view into the site, particularly from the
vantage points that reflect the existing and
anticipated movements of people from different
areas of the neighborhood.
 Forming a dramatic backdrop to the plaza, the main
area of the pavilion is a 24-foot high space filled
with modular booths convenient to where food trucks
access the site.
 . This “of the land” approach takes its cues from
the architectural program which is centered on the
provision of fresh produce, locally made crafts and
a variety of food truck vendors to serve the local
population.
 Sustainability is integral to the project,
informing the design from the outset.
 The pavilion employs rainwater harvesting (i.e. an
on-site cistern captures runoff and supplies the
entire site’s irrigation demand); the landscape
design provides for drought resistant plantings;
the roof plantings reduce the heat island effect
which reduce demand on mechanical systems in the
enclosed portion; and, the mechanical systems rely
heavily on natural ventilation.
 The dual-level design allows for movement and
activities throughout the site at different levels.
 The ground level encourages easy connections from
the most prominent edges of the site, creating
three distinct zones, and connecting the urban face
of the project to the more pastoral campus setting.
 The roof level access allows pedestrians to gain a
new perspective on the neighborhood by moving
seamlessly up and across the site along the
universally accessible roof level.
 This elevated landscape includes an intensive green
roof where multiple activities can occur, including
afternoon concerts and community events.
 the plaza from three distinct ways and the Plaza
will be an iconic structure visible from many
vantage points. At its highest point, the Pavilion
is 22-feet high and will serve as the central point
for many activities.