BAYOU BAKERY, COFFEE BAR & EATERY

Owner
Bayou Bakery – Chef David Guas

Location
Washington, DC

Awards
2015 Award of Excellence in Historic Resources, AIA DC

Scale
2,300 sf

Services
Design, Permit, Bid Assistance, Construction Administration

Reviews
DCRA, Public Space, HPRB, HPO, NPS, ANC
Historic Listings- Capitol Hill Historic District

Project Type
Design – Bid – Build

The Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery is situated in the former carriage house of the Old Naval Hospital, c. 1866. The neglected civil war hospital and site were rehabilitated and transformed into the Hill Center, a vibrant home for culture, education and city life that opened in 2011. BELL Architects served as the architect for this renovation project and won seven design awards for Historic Preservation, Adaptive Reuse and Sustainability. The Cafe’s Carriage House exterior rehabilitation was completed during this project and included a wood and glass addition to house dining space with a garden view.

The Coffee Bar & Eatery consisted of planning, selective demolition, reconfiguration of the new interior stair, locating major new ductwork and equipment, all new building systems, and indicating the impact of changes to the historic resource of this national register-listed property.

The first floor features inside and outside dining with carryout services, while the second floor serves as the commercial kitchen, food prep, storage and support spaces. The interior was completely redesigned with entry area, dining spaces, serving area and toilet rooms on the main floor. Upgrades to the second floor include widening and re-orienting the stair, analyzing the load capacity of the floor for heavy equipment and stacked storage, and providing an interior lift system for moving bulk goods from the lower level.