The NOMA Gateway at 2 Patterson aimed to bring the community together through education, stewardship, housing and food security, creating a sense of pride and vested interest in the neighborhood. Anchored by World Central Kitchen and CentroNía child care, this mixed-use, multifamily development proposal was shortlisted by D.C.’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The site is a prominent location as you approach downtown D.C. from the north. Our design set the stage for a memorable first impression and the sense of arrival that the NoMa neighborhood deserves.

The design of the NOMA Gateway at 2 Patterson proposed a layering system that articulated the façade and the massing of the building. Three layers had the flexibility to be carved as needed, creating visual interest in the architectural form. The façade’s apparent “floating box” projects to define an outdoor room at the roof deck. It seems to defy gravity, serving as a point of reference for pedestrians, a tower in the park, and a ‘hyphen’ in the skyline.