Office to Residential Conversion Symposium
view videoThe Elm
With two 28-story towers and incredible views, The Elm was slated to be Bethesda, MD’s newest and most luxurious multifamily property. The client knew the building would have incredible fundamentals, but needed a design story and point of view to differentiate it in one of the most competitive submarkets in the nation. As a result, Streetsense was brought on to drive the creative vision for the project.
Approach/
To authentically inform our design approach and create a soothing aesthetic not present elsewhere in the market, the team traveled to Copenhagen to research Scandinavian design. Using natural materials and textures was central to our approach for the building’s common areas as evidenced by a standout front desk custom-carved out of walnut and brass. We were likewise inspired by the Swedish concept of fika—the daily coffee-and-cake social ritual—so we designed deep-channeled fabric walls in amenity space booths to create comfortable, intimate niches where residents could gather and connect.
Results/
Now completed, The Elm is the preeminent new apartment building in Bethesda, making an equal mark on the interior as it does on the region’s skyline. At the nexus of a future Metro stop and light rail line, it is a once-in-a-generation property with spaces built for lasting appeal.
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