Reunion Square

Balancing preservation, contemporary design, and neighborhood identity, Reunion Square is a pioneer in the ongoing revitalization of a storied, community-driven corridor.

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Reunion Square is situated on nearly eight acres in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC. The masterplan for this community, when completed, will revitalize the neighborhood through the development of 1.5 million SF across eight new mixed-use buildings, three of which will be designed by Hickok Cole. Not only will this improve the streetscape, but it will also improve the circulation framework for automobiles and pedestrians, transforming the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and W Street into an epicenter of urban vitality in Anacostia.

The first of the three buildings to be designed by Hickok Cole is a 300,000 SF office building, now home to the District’s Department of Health. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, this building comprises two main volumes, each with five and seven stories. The program includes 7,000 SF of ground-level, community-based retail and a three-level, below-grade parking garage. Both volumes are defined by high-end finishes of brick, metal panels, and glass facades, respecting the avenue’s well-established massing, materiality, and geometries. The two volumes create an “L” shape with its main elevations adjacent to Railroad Avenue, W Street, and Shannon Place. The base building has been situated on the site so that it creates a lush, landscaped courtyard incorporating the bioretention system.

Our Creative team provided experiential design. The monument sign, located within the courtyard, serves as a welcoming arrival point for employees and visitors. Its bold typography and internal illumination create a confident visual presence that immediately expresses the building’s identity. The material palette and accent colors draw from the lobby’s feature wall, whose warm, layered tones reference the hues of fall foliage. The logo’s punch-through construction allows light and color to reveal themselves at the edges, creating subtle pops that echo the natural palette carried throughout the interior. As the first touchpoint in the experience, the monument sign stands as both a clear marker of arrival and an intentional introduction to the character of the space.

Inside the building, a complementary wayfinding system extends this design language. Clean, dimensional lettering is finished to match the metal tones used throughout the space, establishing continuity with the monument sign and surrounding interiors. Typography follows the brand font, while directional arrows mirror the corner notches found in the logo for a unified visual rhythm. The result is a simple, clean, and sophisticated solution that guides movement while reinforcing the project’s overall identity. Together, these elements create a seamless transition from exterior to interior, reflecting the craftsmanship and atmosphere that define the experience.

The varying heights of both volumes allowed for two different roof terraces to complement the amenity spaces within the building. While the rooftop terrace on the 7th floor allows for unique views of the river and of the city skyline, the rooftop terrace on the 5th floor is enhanced by the presence of an intensive green garden, introducing a strong natural presence visible also from the adjacent areas of the neighborhood.

The facade along Railroad Avenue is mainly characterized by an articulated window wall system, which maximizes the views across the river. The gently angled glass elements interact with the sun to create an iconic sequence of light reflections, inspired by the dynamic flow of the vehicles on the freeway and of the water at the river’s edge. In addition to the office building, Hickok Cole is designing a hotel and an affordable mixed-use residential apartment building for seniors to be built in the coming years.