W
hen Monarc Construction Inc. bought an old
warehouse in Falls Church, Virginia, back in
2003, it intended to convert the building into
a net-zero-energy company headquarters. Fast forward
10 years, however, and the building’s purpose changed
dramatically. Instead of construction offices, it now serves
as a much-needed daycare center for the area’s children.
The transformation demonstrates how public and private
sectors can work together to solve a community challenge
in a sustainable way.
More than a decade ago, Monarc Construction spent some
time looking for the right spot for a new warehouse-office
building close to downtown. The building and land parcel
on Hunton Avenue, just off Hillwood Avenue in the City of
Falls Church, was a good fit. After purchasing the property,
the company hired Studio Twenty Seven Architecture to
design an adaptive reuse, sustainable structure. Monarc
Construction even purchased 168 solar panels to place on
the building’s roof to convert sunlight to electricity.
There was one problem, however; the site straddled two
jurisdictions. Most was in the City of Falls Church, but one
small segment was in Fairfax County. The site was also
subject to regulations for four distinct zoning districts, since
it was partially in a residential area and partly in an industrial
area. Monarc Construction got the necessary approvals for
the project from the City of Falls Church almost immediately;
dealing with Fairfax County took much longer. By the time
Monarc Construction finally received all the permissions
it needed, the recession had hit and the company put its
reconstruction plans on hold.
Monarc Construction originally intended to convert this 1970s-era warehouse (inset) in
Falls Church, Virginia, into a net-zero-energy headquarters building. Instead, it became a
14,000-square-foot daycare facility with a multitude of energy-saving features
Building Washington 7
