Cloud Nine is a three-story boutique apartment building.  Nine modestly sized units feel grand thanks to an efficient configuration of double height spaces and neutral finishes. Off-the-shelf materials such as aluminum clad wood windows arranged with brightly colored metal panels achieve the look and feel of a glazed commercial curtain wall while retaining the warmth and scale of residential construction.  

The long bar connected to a short bar with transparent circulation core parti cleverly allows each apartment to have multiple exposures so that even bathrooms have windows.  The top units have four exposures and double height spaces with mezzanines and private outdoor terraces.  By lifting the building a half story above street grade and providing thick masonry walls with deep window sills, a feeling of privacy is maintained despite large expanses of glass.

The context of the site is varied; brick garden apartments border historic Victorian row homes.  Washington’s Convention Center and Metro are located diagonally from the site. A white masonry church is next door.

The building’s floor-to-ceiling windows and transparent façade lend sun-drenched interiors. Spaces have an ethereal, serene effect appreciated by residents and onlookers alike.