The Pearl

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

The Pearl is the first phase of a 20–year master plan redevelopment to reinvent the historic Blairs Apartments, which has been a cornerstone in the community since 1958. The redevelopment of this 27-acre area will eventually include 2,800 residential units and 200,000 SF of office, 125,000 SF of retail and a 200-key Hotel all interconnected with five acres of parks, playgrounds and gardens designed to embrace the surrounding community.

The centerpiece of the Master Plan is its transit-oriented design. The site is across the street from the Washington Metro Red Line, MARC station transit center and future Purple Line. Buildings are arranged around courtyards that open up to pathways and connect with the transit hub to promote community and integration with the neighborhood. The architecture of the buildings encourage wellness, fitness and hopes to inspire its residents to “Live Wisely.”

The Pearl delivers a unique living experience: a place for balance with room to grow and breathe that is connected to the urban context but rooted in the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The building massing was adjusted to respond to the lower scale two-story houses along Eastern Avenue and it increases in height as it moves towards the higher density of the downtown surrounding the Metro. With a design focus on natural daylight and views, the stepped massing was also strategic in allowing the opportunity for maximum solar exposure within the courtyards and provides unobstructed views to Rock Creek Park.

The courtyard is purposely designed to open up to tie into the phase two courtyard that will double the size of the green space connecting the buildings. It is programmed to allow for several different functions that promote a sense of community. All of the amenity spaces engage the courtyard directly, seamlessly transitioning from indoor to outdoor and making it the heart of the project. Plantings are based on sustainable vegetation native to the nearby Piedmont Forest and strategically located to recapture rainwater runoff from buildings and the surrounding landscape, reducing annual demand for irrigation by 60 percent.

From the moment residents walk in the main entrance of the building, they are reconnected to nature with light-filled amenity spaces that all have a clear connection to the landscaped courtyard. Similarly, at elevator stops at every floor, residents are reoriented to Rock Creek Park with generous windows that bring natural light into the corridors.

A strong focus on health and wellness for its residents, resulted in the first Fitwel certification for a multi-family residential building globally. 50 unique evidence-based design and policy strategies were implemented that support the physical, mental, and social health of its residents. For example, a full kitchen in the common area hosts frequent healthy cooking demonstrations for residents, often using produce from the Urban Farm. Interior and exterior finishes are designed to flow from one to the other seamlessly.

It is our hope that through these architectural interventions the residents are encouraged to follow the advice inscribed at the projects entry, “Live Wisely.”

Project Credits
Project: The Pearl, Silver Spring, Md.
Architect: Design Collective, Baltimore
Owner: The Tower Companies
Photographer: Tom Holdsworth Photography
Contractor: Clark Construction Group
Landscape Architect: Sasaki and Associates
Civil Engineer: VIKA
Structural Engineer: Smislova, Kehnemui & Associates
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer: Integral Group
Interior Design: RD Jones & Associates
Building Envelope: Wiss Janney Elstner Associates
Commissioning: Sustainable Building Partners
LEED Consultant: Sustainable Design Consulting
IT/Acoustics/Audio Visual: Polysonics Corporation
Geotechnical Engineer: Schnabel Engineering Associates
Vertical Transportation: Lerch Bates