My Project Story: Capitol Crossing Development

Senior Project Manager Kevin McNiff shares the story of our work for the Capitol Crossing Development project in Washington, D.C.

Hello, my name is Kevin McNiff and I'm a senior project manager for Dewberry in the Fairfax, Virginia, office. This is my project story. My team was hired by a developer to work on the Capitol Crossing Development project to provide mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services, also known as MEP services. One of the largest construction sites in the District of Columbia spanning three city blocks, this development reconnects the historic Capitol Hill and East End neighborhoods. These neighborhoods have not been connected since the 1950s. There are five, 12-story, mixed-use buildings planned for the development that will be used for office space, apartments, and retail.

When we were engaged, we got to work right away, identifying the project requirements and design criteria. It didn't take long for our team to focus on what was the greatest challenge of this multi-phase project, designing the necessary MEP infrastructure for buildings that were to be built over highway 395. You heard me right, directly over the highway. On a typical project, the utilities have the necessary MEP infrastructure come through terra firma, dirt in the earth and link upward from the ground into the building. For this project, some of the wiring piping and other utilities were coming down over the highway. It was our job to work out and coordinate how all those utilities, which included water, sewage, electricity, telecommunications, and gas among others, would get to where they needed to go. The projects placement over the highway made it one of the most unique challenges I have faced in my career.

Our team overcame these challenges by taking an economical and simplified approach. For example, while working on the North block buildings, we were shown the conceptual plan that the owner had developed for the South block building project that had been designed by another engineer. We immediately pointed out that this design included five air handling units per floor, as well as a complicated scheme of duct work over the highway, that involved huge beam penetrations that came with significant costs. We studied the program and were able to scale this requirement back to four air handling units and redesign the mechanical system to eliminate all duct work over the highway. This had multiple effects, including saving core space, saving utilities that would need to discharge over the highway and of course, saving costs. Our client was so impressed with our teams service, decision-making thoughtful design and engineering knowledge. They asked us to design the South block building from the conceptual design onto the completion of the project, meaning we would be providing MEP services for the entire overbuild development.

This is one project that I won't soon forget. In addition to the all inspiring scope and the scale of the project, it had many unforgettable highlights. The project's focus on sustainability is truly amazing. The first of the five buildings has been awarded lead platinum, and I'm very happy that my team could contribute to that with our energy efficient HPAC design among other improvements. Currently, the North towers are complete and the tenants have been moving in at a steady pace. We look forward to seeing the remaining buildings develop and to continue our fruitful relationship with the client. Once completed, I believe that Capitol Crossing will be one of the most recognizable developments in the entire city, and I feel honored to have been part of it.

Видео My Project Story: Capitol Crossing Development канала Dewberry