Chinese Children Adoption Headquarters

Submitted by Hutton Ford Architects PC

The existing building was a two-story, 20,000-sq-ft office building built in the early 1980s. The facility is now owned and occupied by a single tenant - Chinese Children Adoption International - the world's largest placement agency for orphaned Chinese children.

The project consisted of adding a 200-sq-ft, two-story atrium to accommodate a new elevator, provide a lobby sitting area and a second-floor overlook. The main entrance is on the west side of the office building, with the addition occurring on the east parking lot side.

The second floor overlook affords views of the green belt to the east. The existing oak lobby stair was replaced with a new steel and glass stair to be more in sync with the lobby improvements from a 2002 renovation project.

The goal of the addition and new stair was to provide maximum transparency to the green belt and new playground. Glass was selected at the stair railings, stair risers and throughout the new exterior curtain wall. High-performance glazing was used to avoid glare issues and optimize energy performance.

Aesthetic goals were to integrate the 1980's building, tie into the previous lobby improvements and provide an understated hint of Asian aesthetic to the exterior form while not limiting future convertibility of the building for generic office use. Champagne bronze finish was utilized for the curtain wall, primarily for its inherent elegance and to tie into the existing exterior and interior color palettes.

The combination of glass curtain wall, polished granite and the steel/glass stair affect a light and inviting quality to the entry experience, very much representative of this extraordinary organization.

Project Team

Owner: Chinese Children Adoption International
Architects: Hutton Ford Architects PC
Engineers: Anchor Engineering & Inspection Inc., R2H Engineers and Littleton Heating
General Contractor: Newcastle Construction
Major Subs: Horizon Glass Co., Morrison Concrete LLC, Palomo's Masonry, NCSI, E&P Quality Plumbing, MC2 Electrical Contractors

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