Champlain St Residences

Adam’s Morgan | Washington, DC

Located along Champlain Street in the heart of Adams Morgan, Champlain Street Residences is a new affordable housing development that reimagines an aging mid-century apartment building as a contemporary, sustainable residential community. Situated one block east of the vibrant 18th Street corridor and just south of The Line Hotel, the project responds to a neighborhood defined by a layered mix of historic masonry buildings and newer multifamily infill.

The proposed five-story building replaces an existing 1940s structure containing 30 undersized micro-units that lacked accessibility and required significant energy and systems upgrades. The new development will provide 44 affordable residential units offered at a mix of 30–50% MFI, including units dedicated to permanent supportive housing. The design preserves the scale and rhythm of the surrounding streetscape while introducing a more modern architectural expression rooted in the masonry character of Adams Morgan. A dark ironspot brick façade, copper-toned metal accents, and perforated metal screening create a warm and textured composition that references the neighborhood’s historic bay-window architecture through a series of recessed “shadowbox” frames.

Constrained by a narrow street frontage and a sloping infill site, the design carefully leverages grade changes to improve accessibility and create a more generous pedestrian experience. The primary entrance is positioned at the lower end of the site, allowing for an open, welcoming ground floor with community-oriented spaces along the street frontage. A carved entry recess creates a porch-like transition from sidewalk to lobby, softening the building edge while introducing opportunities for planting and greenery within an otherwise dense urban condition.

The project is designed to meet Enterprise Green Communities certification standards and is targeting net-zero energy performance. Sustainability strategies include an all-electric building system, high-performance mechanical and ventilation systems, rooftop solar generation, permeable paving, and an intensive green roof that works in tandem with the solar array to support stormwater management and reduce the building’s environmental impact.

Champlain Street Residences seeks to provide thoughtfully designed affordable housing that is contextual, durable, and forward-looking — contributing to the continued evolution of Adams Morgan while reinforcing the neighborhood’s longstanding residential character.