Air Rights Center

Industry: Commercial Real Estate

Location: Bethesda, MD

Client: Bethesda ARC, LLC c/o Jones Lang LaSalle

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Air Rights Center

Challenge

The Air Rights Center consists of three towers in downtown Bethesda, Maryland, just northwest of D.C.’s central business district. With more than 709,000 square feet of space, it is one of the busiest and most expansive combinations of office and retail space in the area.

The 10-story east office tower was constructed in 1964 and in need of a complete face-lift — the building’s owner wanted to improve the property’s efficiency while dramatically enhancing its curb appeal. The building’s 10th floor balcony created rigging challenges for Valcourt to access the façade to safely complete the restoration work.

Solution

Working in conjunction with Facility Engineering Associates, Valcourt performed a complete re-caulking of the building façade and wet glazing of its windows. Some of the precast concrete elements exhibited spalls or cracks so these also were repaired. In addition, the building was clad with a combination of precast concrete, glass and metal panels. Replacement of the building sealants protected the building from water ingress. To address the building’s appearance, we removed all of the old metal panels and replaced them with alucobond 4mm Kynar coated panels, a sturdier and more energy efficient panel. In addition, the entire concrete façade was coated with a silicone-based coating, giving the building a fresh new look and weather resistant façade.

Valcourt’s expertise in innovative, safe rigging of access equipment allowed us to overcome obstacles presented by the 10th floor balcony and a substantial overhang at the roof level. A structural engineer was brought in to inspect columns on the 10th floor balcony that allowed Valcourt to create a certifiable rigging plan to safely complete the façade restoration work on the tower.

Work Performed

  • Sealants and Coatings
  • Metal Cladding Panel Replacement
  • Precast Concrete Repair

Services Provided

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