One of the Washington, D.C., area’s mid-century modern residential communities recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a weekend of festivities, including a home tour and stream restoration. Truro is a beautiful wooded community of nearly 400 late 1960s and early '70s modernist homes in Annandale, Va. The neighborhood was designed by Robert Deigert & David Yerkes–one of the leading mid-century modern architectural teams in the D.C. area–and built by Miller & Smith. The homes are built into rolling hills amid mature trees and walking trails. The names of the various models reflect the architecture’s connection to the natural surroundings, including Forestview, Gardenview and Hillview. T
As the summer tourist season envelops Washington, D.C., many of the local residents of our nation’s capital hit the road to more sparsely populated locales – often to our public lands and national parks for rest and relaxation. Mid-century planning and design made these retreats more accessible as their development coincided with the rise of the private automobile. The first in a three part series, this post will look at how the legacy of modernism is still present in Washington’s national park properties and how it is indicative of the experiences you might encounter throughout the National Park system. Like many of its more grandiose counterparts, park architecture in Washington, D.C., has
The former Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) Headquarters in Hyattsville, Maryland is one step closer to being saved from the wrecking ball. On June 4, the Hyattsville City Council voted 6-4 against supporting the Magruder Pointe development concept plan, which requires an amendment to the zoned table of uses in order to move forward. The matter will ultimately be decided by Prince George's County, and will come before the county Planning Board on July 12. At the City Council meeting, Hyattsville residents, including an organized group that calls itself Save Our Sustainable Hyattsville (SOS Hyattsville), spoke out against the plan. Opposition platforms included historic prese
Please join us for our second Tour Day Planning meeting, where we will select a route for Tour Day and divide into sub-committees. The annual nationwide Docomomo US Tour Day will take place October 13th this year. This year’s theme is Public Spaces – Inside and Out. Past Docomomo DC Tour Day events have included tours of Brutalist buildings in Northwest DC (2017), Modernist architecture of Montgomery County (2016), the Watergate complex (2015), and Southwest DC (2014). When: June 13th 6pm Where: Gensler Conference Room, 2020 K St NW, Washington, DC (dedicated entrance east of main lobby) If you would like to help plan this exciting event but are unable to attend the meeting please contact Je