1201 F Street Conference Center and Amenities

Washington, D.C.

Photography: Prakash Patel, Prakash Patel Photography

In a competitive leasing environment, 1201 F Street faced increasing pressure to offer premium tenant amenities—particularly high-quality spaces for meetings, collaboration, and everyday well-being. The only available area for these upgrades, however, was the building’s basement: a space often overlooked and seldom associated with hospitality or vitality.

The design reimagines this below-grade level as a flexible, human-scaled gathering environment capable of adapting fluidly to a wide range of uses. At its center is a communal living room and conference suite, where movable partitions and adaptable furnishings allow the space to transition seamlessly between small meetings, large lectures, and informal social events. This flexibility maximizes both spatial efficiency and day-to-day activation.

Complementing the shared gathering spaces is a suite of wellness-focused amenities, including a dedicated nursing room, a high-energy fitness center, and spa-quality showers and locker rooms—each designed to support comfort, dignity, and physical health. To counter the absence of natural daylight, the lighting design layers warm tones and diffuse glows to emulate the qualities of sunlight and bring a sense of balance to the interior experience.

Material selections were rooted in authenticity, with a palette that conveys quiet elegance through tactile richness and natural texture. Furniture inspired by residential and biophilic cues invites people to linger—whether working alone, meeting with colleagues, or simply pausing to reset.

A new rooftop terrace complements the interior spaces, providing an open-air counterpoint to the basement-level program. The design preserves and celebrates the building’s square cupola, enhanced with a new zero-sightline oculus that frames the sky and reinforces the cupola as a visual and spatial anchor.

This project is an example of how user focused design, attuned to the rhythms of work, wellness, and social connection, can unlock the latent potential of underutilized space.