While some complain that Washington D.C.’s building height limit has resulted in lookalike, boxy buildings, an architecture critic views the restriction as a feature, not a bug.
John King writes of the “virtue of architectural monotony: a relentless horizontality where commercial canyons recede into the distance,” at The Atlantic’s City Lab web site. King describes the result as: “An awkward yet oddly endearing terrain where, absolutely, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”
D.C.’s century-old zoning ordinance ties building heights to the width of adjacent streets. The formula translates to a maximum height of 130 feet, with another 20 feet for mechanical equipment and a penthouse, throughout most of the city.
The height restriction creates a distinctive look for the nation’s capital when authenticity is valued above all else, King says. “Cities tout any element that sets them apart, any rooted sense of place, any hint of local flavor,” he writes. “Idiosyncrasy is where it’s at.”
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jan 2, 2019
Study compares labor hours for various low-slope roofing options
Type of roof covering, project parameters, tool management, and crew efficiency all impact profitability.
Codes and Standards | Dec 20, 2018
New York’s ‘Scaffold Law’ under fire for driving up project costs
Lawmakers under pressure to reform law that makes contractors 100% liable for work-site injuries.
Codes and Standards | Dec 19, 2018
Guidance for water utilities on indoor recycled water use released
Provides recommended ranges on 13 different parameters of water quality.
Codes and Standards | Dec 18, 2018
Development in Africa, Asia, and uptake in air conditioning will require more efficient buildings
Dramatic action will be needed for global building sector to cut carbon in line with international agreements.
Codes and Standards | Dec 14, 2018
Emissions for buildings and construction have peaked, UN says
Greener buildings have led to leveling off of GHGs.
Codes and Standards | Dec 13, 2018
Urban flooding causing economic loss, social disruption, and housing inequality
Extensive suburban development, aging and poorly maintained infrastructure, and more intense rainfall mean more flooding.
Codes and Standards | Dec 12, 2018
California’s transportation problems could prevent state from reaching carbon reduction goals
Governor’s carbon neutral-by-2045 ambitions at odds with car culture.
Codes and Standards | Dec 11, 2018
Strict seismic building codes credited with minimizing damage in Alaskan earthquake
Magnitude 7.0 temblor cracked roads and collapsed road ramps, but buildings held up well.
Codes and Standards | Dec 7, 2018
Florida tops ABC’s 2018 Merit Shop Scorecard rankings
Michigan rose fastest after passing prevailing wage law.
Codes and Standards | Dec 6, 2018
North American steel yields lower GHG emissions than Chinese steel
North American construction steel saves about half of GHG emissions on building project.
