International Square Recognized with AIA Chicago Design Excellence Award
The Square at International Square
Photography: Anton Grassl
Graphics: Krueck Sexton Partners
The Square at International Square
Krueck Sexton Partners’ transformation of The Square at International Square in Washington, D.C. has been recognized with a 2025 AIA Chicago Design Excellence Honor Award in the Interior Architecture category. The award was formally presented on Designight, an annual celebration of Chicago architects’ global impact.
International Square reimagines the ground floor and central atrium of one of D.C.’s most visited office complexes, replacing a dark and dated interior with a bright civic space defined by openness, daylight, and connection. The project also converted an underutilized cellar level to a conference center. Skylights and natural vegetation establish a contemporary public commons at the heart of the building, demonstrating the potential of adaptive reuse to revitalize 1980s-era architecture for today’s civic life.
Living walls are among the biophilic design strategies at International Square.
This recognition affirms International Square’s role as both a model of design excellence and a demonstration of architecture’s capacity to extend the life of existing structures while contributing to the vitality of the city.
Ground floor and atrium were transformed into a flexible seven-day community hub.