Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, United States

August 13, 2010 Category: Education, Public Buildings

The Center for Strategic and International Studies designed by Hickok Cole Architects is located in Washington, DC, United States. Located on a prominent site just southwest of Scott Circle, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is set to be a new 9-story, 130,000 sq ft Class A build-to-suit office building for the headquarters of an international think tank. The building will have four floors below-grade totalling 60,000 sq ft, a 12,000 sq ft concourse level and three levels of parking. The program features 8 world-class, state-of-the-art conferencing facilities totalling 20,000 sq ft, as well as a 5,000 sq ft commons area on the 6th floor for staff and scholars.

CSIS selected Hickok Cole Architects through a two-stage design competition of 12 national and regional design firms. Hickok Cole’s design solution takes direct cues from both the client and the site. The façade is shifted off-center with a ‘Scott Circle bias’. The design includes a traditional base, middle and top, translated in a very modern manner, using Tennessee pink limestone and glass, drawn in sharp contrast: the limestone façade appears to be carved from a solid block, framing a view of the sky, while the glass is stretched taut within the limestone frame. The building will target LEED Gold certification. Green elements include a Green roof, low-flow fixtures, reuse of condensate waters for fountain and a high efficiency mechanical system.

Center for Strategic and International Studies Design Architechture Plan 1