The Residences at Central Armature Works

Agency: CBT Architects
Client: The Trammell Crow Company

The re-imagined Central Armature Works site in DC’s up-and-coming NoMa neighborhood (North of Massachusetts Avenue) is now a special place to live, a vertical green village. Fresh and artful, the project's residential amenity design is instilled with a distinctive spirit of place, informed by the site’s past as home to Central Armature Works, a century-old electrical manufacturing business renowned for its mechanized craftsmanship.

Design goals: • Develop a refined, hand-crafted design language to honor a notable chapter of America's industrial past, as represented by DC's century-old Armature Works • Weave the history of Armature Work's site legacy into the interior design of two multifamily towers • Create aesthetic connection between the residential towers while distinguishing them from each other • Design residential amenity environments offering inviting, appealing choices to prospective tenants • Provide uncommon amenity spaces indoors and out, for pet-friendly, community building spaces The result? A design that's anything but a generic ode to an industrial aesthetic. Now, a new home to the 830,000-square-foot mixed-use Central Armature Works, its two residential towers – The Rigby and Market House – are models of modern urban dwelling, filled with 65,000 square feet of uncommon common space, indoors and out. Today, Central Armature Works' multifamily towers host a combined 640 apartments, offering residents a choice between Market House, a fresh, extroverted social environment, and The Rigby, a refined home-as-haven respite. Each building's aesthetic is distinct while conceptually unifying, with abundant places for community, retreat, sun, and sky. A neighborhood rich in DC history, both industrial and cultural, its two new residential additions are named in connection with its past and present. The Rigby is named in honor of The Beatles' first U.S. concert which happened just across the street at the then-Washington Coliseum, while Market House is named for the neighborhood's Union Market, a hip food-and-more destination since 1872. Deeply inspired by the artifacts that defined DC's Central Armature Works – think glowing copper wire, seamless welding – the designers toured the site's existing warehouse and fabrication facilities, studying and cataloging the company's industrial artifacts to spark thoughtful, insightful design. With design both refined and abstract, the amenity areas of both multifamily buildings come alive through subtly synthesized art and craft. Interior material choices and bespoke furnishings reflect Central Armature Works’ ethos of machined craftsmanship with an emphasis on natural materials – metal, wood, and stone – an in-kind honoring of handmade products. This design inspiration is seen everywhere, from custom-designed sculptural light fixtures to custom-crafted steel tables to bespoke wall artwork featuring a montage of factory artifacts. A Fitwel-certified residential community, connection with the outdoors is integral to both Market House and The Rigby. Spaces are designed to celebrate views of the NoMa neighborhood and the distinctly DC skyline, and residents have access to the amenities offered in both buildings, with the two buildings connected through a private courtyard. Pet-friendly, The Rigby and Market House outdoor environments range from intimate fireside lounges and cozy dining nooks to an outdoor yoga studio,