Dumbarton Oaks

At the Dumbarton Oaks Farrand House project in Washington, D.C., JBC provided integrated design of irrigation, soils, and subdrainage systems to support the renovation of the historic greenhouse and its surrounding landscape. Working with Reed Hilderbrand and Selldorf Architects, JBC’s green infrastructure solutions helped transform the area into a functional and sustainable educational outreach space, all within the context of a highly constrained and historically significant site.

Design challenges included limited water pressure, tight spatial constraints, and the need for low-impact strategies appropriate for a landmark property. JBC addressed these by specifying low-volume, low-pressure-rated irrigation equipment and optimizing soil and drainage systems for long-term plant health and performance. A key success for the JBC team was the inclusion of substantial soil volumes for new overstory trees at the entry walkway within the site’s spatial limitations.

Images courtesy of Reed Hilderbrand

Collaborators 

• Reed Hilderbrand

• Selldorf Architects