The Lacey

Division 1 Architects, USA

Praised for its transparency and industrial elegance, The Lacey is a 26-unit condominium building sited in Washington, DC’s U Street corridor, and the building earned Division1 Architects a 2012 residential architect Design Award in the Multifamily Housing category. The Lacey is a continuation of a series of projects Division1 completed to revitalize the neighborhood, which had suffered from neighborhood decline since the 1960s.

Sited on the former parking lot of a legendary restaurant, the Florida Avenue Grill, the building reflects the developer’s artistic passion and symbolizes its dedication to the area. In fact, the developer honored longtime Grill proprietors Lacey C. Wilson Sr. and Lacey C. Wilson Jr. by naming the project The Lacey.

As a forward-looking landmark designed with four distinct elevations, The Lacey’s concrete walls, solid steel framework, and transparent glass panels combine to create an intriguing 24 000-square-feet, four-story structure complete with an interior atrium in which hallways seem to float. Private balconies and yards are complemented with common outdoor space on a second-floor terrace and private rooftop decks for penthouse suites.

The inside combines form and function where units embrace an open plan. Hardwood floors offset clean, custom interiors. State-of-the-art kitchens achieve maximum functionality without dominating the design aesthetic. Signature styling and bold details in bathrooms reinvent the ordinary and make the most of natural light. All this is the result of a design that provides the freedom and flexibility to facilitate better living through architecture.

Originally appeared in Modus News 3