Fall 2024

BELL Architects Newsletter: Volume 24 No. 4

BELL’s projects represent the physical manifestation of applying creativity and grit designing the built environment. Over the past 25 years, each project’s challenges have served as a means for us to learn and adapt. Change continues to accelerate. What seemed to be cutting edge when we began 25 years ago is simply mainstream. We now seek more sophisticated culturally relevant and environmentally responsive design solutions that actually give us hope towards a better future for the planet, our health, and the way we live. It's not enough to minimize adverse effects, its inspiring and possible to maximize net-positive effects. We are always looking past the status quo, thinking critically and creatively. With each project we produce, we incorporate many layers of ideas along with impeccable design skills. Read more…

Summer 2024

BELL Architects Newsletter: Volume 24 No. 3

Because many of you enjoyed our summer travel tips last year, we decided to share more ideas to make your vacations fulfilling this year. For the collectors out there, we’d like to challenge you to tell us how many of these famous architectural buildings you’ve seen. Social media seems to be focusing their tourist pressure on the most popular and busy destinations. So, if you want a great outdoor experience without the crowds, try this link to the least visited national parks. You can collect Junior Ranger (JR) badges at many national parks. In order to get sworn in as a JR, one must tour the park and fill in a booklet which proves you've benefited from their educational programs. Getting sworn in is a high honor. And with so many National Parks right in this area, there's lots to learn about history and nature. Read more...

Economic & Sustainable Benefits of Saving Historic Spaces | Virtual CEU Session, available June 10 - September 13, 2024

Knight and Holdenried will showcase the benefits of saving historic buildings from an economic, sustainable and wellness standpoint and as a means to involve and empower the community to achieve successful results for all stakeholders. From five case studies, participants will take away specific strategies and technical advice to extend the physical AND functional life of a historic building addition/renovation, breathing new life to the building in service the community. More details.

Spring 2024

BELL Architects Newsletter: Volume 24 No. 2

We were thrilled to welcome so many of our old (not aging) friends and hopefully new friends into our office on February 29th for our Art + Arch evening. There's a long tradition in my office to support the community and local artists. As president of the DC Preservation League in the early 2000s, I was involved with the Downtown Artists Coalition and its efforts to keep artists in the 900 Block of F Street. Through those connections, we have had the honor to feature art and custom furniture in our offices since 2008, and many of our projects include local art installations. Read more…

Winter 2024

BELL Architects Newsletter: Volume 24 No. 1

The dark days of winter are upon us. The lack of light is unbearably apparent to many – especially in our modern society where so many of us spend over 90% of our time indoors. As the days begin to get longer, we reflect on the positive benefits of increasing light exposure to everyone's health and performance. Beyond the seasonal cycles and exposure to natural light, learning and performance degraded during COVID in part, because many people were forced to spend time in less-than-optimal indoor spaces. As architects and designers of recreation, education, and housing facilities, among other spaces where people spend a significant amount of time indoors, we're focused on healthy environments of high-performing buildings that can enhance human occupancy. Read more…

Winter 2023, ArchitectureDC

By G. Martin Moeller, Jr., Assoc. AIA

Anyone who equates military installations with drab, utilitarian design surely would be impressed by the architectural quality of the five United States service academies. The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is an imposing campus of neo-Gothic and medieval revival buildings perched on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. Read more…

Portfolio/US Naval Academy Chapel

September 2023

By Joe Himali of Best Address

David Bell of BELL Architects and Joe Himali of Best Address meet at Gadsby’s Tavern in Old Town Alexandria, VA to discuss BELL Architects’ redesign of the tavern’s historic (c. 1790) ice well viewing area and further preservation efforts, a project which earned numerous awards. Watch here…

Portfolio/Gadsby’s Tavern Ice Well

Fall 2023

BELL Architects Newsletter: Volume 23 No. 4

As we continue to work on sustainable design projects and reduce the carbon footprint by repurposing existing buildings, we need to be sure our focus on energy doesn’t ignore that most buildings are for people; and that health and wellness must be considered equally important. Read more…

Summer 2023

BELL Architects Newsletter : Volume 23 No. 3

Sure, we all recognize famous buildings or the seven wonders of the world. It's a big reason we travel. And today, more than ever, we are drawn to places designed by recognized architects. Travel provides a means to make connections to the world around and the distinctive architecture of each place. Read more…

May 13th - 14th, 2023

Join Mr. David Bell, FAIA, LEED AP for a tour of BELL’s work at Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital, along with many other notable homes and gardens in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Register here…

May 4, 2023

Join Mr. Scott Knight, LEED AP and Ms. Erin Holdenried, AIA, LEED AP BD+C at AIA DC’s DesignDC 2023 conference: The New Historic Preservation.

CONNECTING TO THE COMMUNITY: Showcasing five case studies, the benefits of saving historic buildings from an economic standpoint and as a means to involve and empower the community will be explored. Participants will take away specific strategies and technical advice to extend the physical AND functional life of a historic building addition or renovation, and strengthen its service to the community. Register here…

Spring 2023

BELL Architects Newsletter : Volume 23 No. 2

Spotlight on BELL's Resident Naturalist: Joshua Kaltreider

For over 15 years, I've been working both personally and professionally to create places that incorporate buildings into the urban landscape. Like many things today, we know that everything is connected, and for our well-being and our planet, I'd like to highlight a few actions that might enhance a future project and note how things will evolve in the future for our profession. Read more…

Winter 2023, Maryland & DC Construction Elite

By Chris Chapin

Great design is something that every architecture firm strives for, but it is only the truly unique firms that combine inspired design with creating lasting works of architecture while demonstrating a passion and expertise for incorporating history, culture, and sustainable design into the built environment. For over two decades, BELL Architects has focused on integrating innovative and traditional practices, achieving measurable results to conserve energy and environmental, financial, and cultural resources. Read more…

Winter 2023

BELL Architects Newsletter : Volume 23 No. 1

I've been coaching ice hockey teams for over 30 years - everything from high-performing athletes to young kids having fun in house league. What I've learned through coaching, they don't teach in architecture school. Read more…

November / December 2022

Citation: Renovation | Modernization

Garrison Elementary School

“A school transformation in an urban context that celebrates light, play and connections to nature and the outdoors.” - 2022 Jury Read more…

Portfolio/Garrison Elementary School

November / December 2022

Outstanding Design: Community Use | Shepherd Park Community Center. Read more…

Portfolio/Shepherd Park Community Center

The Naval Academy Chapel within the National Historic Landmark District lies in the center of the Navy’s Beaux Arts campus in Annapolis, Maryland. Designed by Ernest Flagg and built in 1908, the original terra-cotta dome was altered in 1929 and replaced with ornamental copper and further expanded by Paul Cret in the 1930s. Read more…

Portfolio/US Naval Academy Chapel

The RLF-led rehabilitation of the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel copper dome was recently recognized by the Copper Development Association's North American Copper in Architecture (NACIA) awards as an outstanding restoration project. The awards program highlights architectural copper projects that highlight craftsmanship, attention to detail, and architectural vision. Read more…

Portfolio/US Naval Academy Chapel

December 2022, Metal Construction News

By Marcy Marro

The craftsmanship and detail of this historic chapel renovation impressed the judges, winning the award fro Metal Roofing Retrofit in the 2022 MCN Project Excellence Awards. Calling it the best project in the category, the judges thought it was beautiful. Read more…

Portfolio/US Naval Academy Chapel

September 2017

By GCS-Sigal

Post-occupancy video of Garrison Elementary School, featuring Brigham Kiplinger, principal of Garrison Elementary School and Michael Sigal, president of GCS-Sigal. Watch here…

Portfolio/Garrison Elementary School

May 2017

By DC Preservation League

The owner and team for the renovation of the historic building located on the property of the Hill Center (formerly the Old Naval Hospital) discusses the primary objectives of the work for the adaptive reuse of the building for the Bayou Bakery. Watch here…

Portfolio/Bayou Bakery

December 2015

Scissors and Shovels Day at Kenilworth Community Center Groundbreaking, featuring Washington DC Mayor M. Bowser and Yvette Alexander, Councilmember of Ward 7. Watch here…

Portfolio/Kenilworth Community Center

November 2015

In Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, New Orleans native Chef David Guas is cooking up Creole-inspired favorites in a Civil War-era former carriage house. Standing adjacent to the Old Naval Hospital, which was commissioned by Abraham Lincoln in 1864, the Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Find out what makes this restaurant a not-to-be-missed experience if you every find yourself in our nation’s capital. Watch here…

Portfolio/Bayou Bakery

May 2015

By DC Preservation League

The team for the renovation of the historic Northeast Neighborhood Library discusses the primary objectives of the work for the project which received the DC Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Watch here…

Portfolio/Northeast Neighborhood Library

February 2014

By Tashira Merritt

The Northeast Library is the fourth oldest library in the District, but it is the first library to be built entirely with DC funds. Spotlight reporter Tashira Merritt gives us the story of the grand opening of the newly renovated home for books. Watch here…

Portfolio/ Northeast Neighborhood Library

March 2013

Montgomery Parks historian Julie Mueller shares a brief history of the c. 1910 Darby Store, which was moved from its original location to provide setback from the roadway that was developed years after the store was built. Watch here…

The oldest documented naval hospital in Washington, DC was originally intended to care for soldiers injured during the Civil War, but the construction of the hospital was not completed until 1866 after the war was over. Following Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the hospital served veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American Wars. In 1911, the facility operated as home to a series of different service organizations, most notably the Temporary Home for Old Soldiers and Sailors. Read more…

Portfolio/Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

November 2012

The history and the renovation of The Hill Center - a vibrant home for culture, education and city life on Capitol Hill. Watch here…

Portfolio/ Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

February 2012

Join Architect David Bell for a hard hat tour of Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. Watch here…

Portfolio/ Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

February 2012

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington DC is surrounded by a beautiful and historical fence. Learn about how the fence was restored to its original beauty after decades of neglect. Watch here…

Portfolio/Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

September 2009

By National Building Museum

David Bell of BELL Architects and George S. Hawkins, director of D.C. Department on the Environment discuss the green roof at One Judiciary Square. The greening of this roof was part of the first 100 days of Mayor Adrian Fenty's administration. Watch here…

October 2007, Buildings

By Jana J. Madsen

There are two truly extraordinary things about the Courtyard at Middleburg: the designs ability to blend old and new architecture, and the amazing tenacity of the project team. In 2003, the site that would become Courtyard at Middleburg in Middleburg, VS, housed nothing more than a 100-year0old, 2,000-square-foot, 1.5-story bungalow and a small carriage house. Read more...

Portfolio/Courtyard at Middleburg