Water Edge
Riverdale, D.C.
Nadine N. Rajab | Construction
Advisor: Dr. Robert Leicht
General Information
Under Construction
Design & Functional Components
The water’s edge is a new mixed-use community that provides easy access to The Metro Station, The River, and Future Public Park. The Water’s Edge Building is comprised of a 10-Story high-rise building that consists of 179 units, two stories of below grade parking, Conference room, work pods, dog spa, bicycle storage, second floor courtyard, private dining room, state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor dog park, rooftop pool and an outdoor kitchen. The water’s edge community is made for all social and financial statuses as it consists of 39 affordable units, and 140 units are market-price apartments.
Applicable Codes
Zoning
Riverdale, D.C. - Assembly RA-2
Historical Requirements
There are no historical requirements for this building and/or location.
Building Facade
The building façade consists of three main components; aluminum panels, storefronts and brick. The 1st, 2nd and 10th floor are built with stone masonry in white, aluminum metal panel in Cadet Grey and Storefront system. Whereas, the 3rd floor through the 9th floor are built with brick veneer in olive, storefront system and aluminum metal panels.Shown below are the detailed sections of the main building façade components.
Roofing
There are several types of roofing in the water’s edge building; 10th floor where it functions as a lounging area, outdoor grilling and a seasonal pool, and the main roof level is where the mechanical room is located. The 10th floor outdoor space consists of brick pavers, concrete, and porcelain. The typical roofing for the majority of the building is a TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) System.
Sustainability Features
Though the this project will not be LEED certified, it does take a few sustainable initiatives into account during design as well as construction. Underground parking to minimize heat, recycling and the utilization of regional, recycled materials.
Construction
The delivery system that The Water Edge building utilizes is Design-Bid-Build. The location of the project initiated some problems for the subcontractors due to lack of park during game days. Therefore, managing and coordinating with the subcontractors during game days was crucial.The method of constructing the shell structure and exterior facade included utilizing a tower crane at the center of the U-shaped building starting bottom and working upwards. Water Edge was built on a lot that consisted of row townhouses and a gas station. Due to the prior existence of the gas station, the soil was contaminated and had to be remediated. During excavation, soils would be inspected frequently to ensure its capability of load bearing. Sheathing and shoring were used as a supporting method of excavation. H section soldier beams were driven vertically into the ground to support lagging. Heavy timber planks are joined horizontally side by side to retain the face of excavation.
Structural
The foundation and structural system of Water’s Edge is all concrete based. The foundation system consists of 6000 psi 30’’ thick mat slab foundation with sheathing and shoring tie back around the parameter of the site. Reinforced cast-in-place concrete is used for grade beams, foundation walls and slab on grade with a slight variation in thickness and strength. Reinforced Post tensioned concrete is used on all above grade floor from the first floor mezzanine to the roof.
Mechanical
The mechanical system consists of multiple pieces of equipment that serve different areas of the building. The building contains two rooftop units (OAU), which distribute conditioned air through centralized risers to local designated areas within the building. These units run continuously, and temperature sensors in corridors will maintain a temperature setpoint of 70F. Additionally, alarms will sound and the unit will deactivate for freeze protection or if smoke is detected. Residential units, the fitness center, lobbies, offices, corridors and amenities are among the spaces that utilize a split system heat pump (HP). A programmable thermostat will maintain a room temperature setpoint, and when the outdoor air temperature falls below 45F, the outdoor compressor (located on the roof), will lock, and electric heating coils will provide heating. High heat emission rooms, such as the electrical room, cable room, pool pump, pool closet, and elevator control room all use a ductless split system (DSAH). Low voltage wall thermostats will maintain a cooling temperature setpoint of 75F. Compressors for both of these split systems are located on the roof. Electric unit heaters (EUH), and electric wall heaters (EWH), both controlled by individual thermostats, will maintain an adjustable temperature setpoint in spaces.
Electrical/Lighting
The building is supplied by a 208/120V, 3 Phase, 4 wire feed. Water’s Edge building consists of eight panelboards, two switchgears and a emergency generator. There are two electrical/cable rooms in all floors above the first floor mezzanine. LED is the main light source in Water’s Edge which would significantly reduce electricity cost as well as it is energy efficient.
Fire Protection
There are two primary fire protection systems in Water’s Edge Building; wet pipe system and dry pipe system. The wet pipe system is located on all above grade floors while the dry pipe system is located below grade in the garage given that is partially open to the air. Although this might be a typical fire suppression assembly for buildings with similar layout; the Water’s Edge requires a 1-hour rated wall assembly separating each unit and a 2-hour rated wall in all corridors and staircases. Each separating wall opening such as outlets and piping shall be fire caulked and sealed.
Transportation
The Water’s Edge Building has two elevators that are classified for passenger use, rated for 4,500 pounds and travel at a speed of 500 feet per minute. There are a total of two staircases located on opposite ends of the building.
Telecommunication
Telecom closets are located on odd numbered floors in the Water's Edge Building, while electrical rooms are located on even numbered floors. Each closet will be providing data lines and communications for two floors. The service provider for these data lines and communications are Verizon and Comcast.