Hickok Cole-Designed Reimagining Draws Inspiration from Unique Mass Timber Expansion Currently Under Construction at Columbia’s Capitol Riverfront Office Building

Columbia Property Trust today announced plans for an extensive transformation of the entrance, lobby, and amenity offerings at 80 M Street, its Washington D.C. office building. The renovations, which are underway, will give the Capitol Riverfront property a holistic design that blends elements of its pioneering mass timber expansion project and creates a more engaging experience for tenants from the moment they approach the building.

Columbia is collaborating on its common area improvements with renowned architecture firm Hickok Cole, which also designed the vertical expansion that is currently under construction atop the existing 286,000-square-foot building. When completed in 2022, 80 M Street’s three-floor, 105,000-square-foot addition will be the District’s first commercial offices built with mass timber and glass as its major design elements.

A key component of 80 M Street’s reinvention is the expansion of its amenities program, which will create a more accessible and light-filled environment for tenants. This new space will allow for the construction of a state-of-the-art executive conference center that will be available for tenants to use for internal and external meetings for up to 80 guests, with the ability to separate into two smaller rooms. Tenants will also receive complimentary access to a redesigned 2,300-square-foot luxury fitness center – nearly double the size of 80 M’s previous offering – as well as executive locker room facilities.

In addition to these ground floor amenities, Columbia will introduce a clubhouse on the newly created penthouse level of the building, which will provide yet another location for tenants to meet with colleagues or host guests. This space will incorporate exposed wood that contrasts with defining charcoal-toned panels along the walls. The clubhouse will connect to a landscaped wrap-around terrace that tenants can enjoy during the warmer months, while a curtain wall system will provide ample sunlight year-round.

“80 M Street’s mass timber expansion will define and differentiate this location in the D.C. market for decades to come, and we feel it is important to celebrate its distinct character from the moment you approach the building,” said Patrick Keeley, Senior Vice President - D.C. Region Lead at Columbia Property Trust. “Just as the mass timber expansion will elevate 80 M from architectural and sustainability points of view, the new street-level design and building-wide amenity program will dramatically elevate the experience of our tenants and their guests.”

Columbia is constructing a canopied, two-story grand entryway to create a bold arrival experience at 80 M Street. This new entrance will be situated to the right of its current location to create a more definitive path for tenants and guests as they approach. In the first of several nods to the expansion, laminated veneer lumber panels will form an undulating sculpture that hangs from the building’s entry arcade and extends through the entrance to become the lobby’s ceiling. This display will symbolize the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, which occurs right at the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. In addition, exterior columns will be reclad to further match materials used in the expansion, and a new small café is planned at the front of the building, providing easy access for tenants and visibility for foot traffic.

Columbia’s new lobby will create a more engaging flow for tenants as they move through 80 M Street. The main reception desk will be situated just beyond the building’s front door so that on-site staff can greet tenants and offer assistance to visitors upon their arrival. The lobby’s design will complement the ceiling’s slatted wooden sculpture and allude to the timber expansion above with biophilic-inspired elements, including an accented planter with vegetation that spans the height of a wall. Light-colored stone and ample seating will produce an active, warm and inviting atmosphere, and the wood ceiling motif will guide visitors towards the building’s expansive communal areas and amenity offerings, before they reach the elevator bank.

Several lounge areas will be arranged with a variety of seating options to provide comfortable settings for 80 M’s tenants beyond their traditional office space. Leather couches and oversized ottomans will be a place to work or relax informally, a communal table can be used for brainstorming sessions or casual meetings, and a series of banquettes will offer added privacy.

The improvements are expected to be completed by April 2022.

About Columbia Property Trust

Columbia Property Trust creates storied properties for legendary companies in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston. The Columbia team is deeply experienced in transactions, asset management and repositioning, leasing, development, and property management. It employs these competencies to grow value across its high-quality, well-leased office portfolio of 15 properties that contain more than six million rentable square feet, as well as four properties under development, and also has more than eight million square feet under management for private investors and third parties. Columbia is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “CXP” and has investment-grade ratings from both Moody’s and S&P Global Ratings.