J.E. Berkowitz fabricates glass for The Hepburn apartment tower

J.E. Berkowitz (JEB) announced the completion of The Hepburn, D.C.’s newest luxury apartment tower. JEB fabricated 62,300 square feet of glass for the 195-unit building, which sits adjacent to the historic Washington Hilton at the intersection of the Dupont Circle and Kalorama neighborhoods.

Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB) Architects & Planners designed the 260,000-square-foot apartment building as a distinct, yet architecturally respectful addition to the existing hotel. The design team achieved that goal by incorporating a contemporary glass façade, according to Hany Hassan, BBB’s partner on the project.

“The Hepburn mimics the Washington Hilton’s sweeping, semicircular form, while its glass façade and elegant detailing complement the hotel’s concrete grid work,” Hassan said. “Glass enabled our team to create an iconic building on this prominent site, while also providing abundant natural daylighting and expansive views from the residences.”

For the project, JEB fabricated Winduo™ insulating glass units (IGUs) incorporating solar control, low-e SunGuard® SuperNeutral® 54 glass by Guardian Glass. The high-performance glass delivers a visible light transmission of 54 percent, while minimizing glare with a neutral appearance and solar heat with a low solar heat gain coefficient of 0.28.

“The site and existing building posed significant challenges,” Hassan added. “The Hepburn was built atop a two-story parking garage, which was formerly the Hilton’s exhibit space. An elaborate structural system and transfer floor allowed the curvilinear building to be positioned above an orthogonal grid. The design also was subject to approval by the Historic Preservation Review Board. As a major addition to a landmark-designated building, it was important that the new building respect and enhance the architecture and composition of the site, which we were able to accomplish.”

Opened in July 2016, The Hepburn features studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Common areas include climate-controlled wine lockers, a library, game room, pet spa, and a fitness center that is connected to the Hilton.

The 12-story building’s rooftop boasts unobstructed views of popular D.C. landmarks, as well as luxury amenities, including outdoor fireplaces and grills, a reflecting pool, private cabanas, and an entertainment area.