Artisan Building

Project History

The Artisan Condominium complex occupies an intriguing spot along E Street in downtown Washington. Across the street sits the J. Edgar Hoover building, while its rear walls form part of the alley John Wilkes Booth escaped through after shooting President Lincoln. Three buildings originally graced the site. All three facades were incorporated into the new development; maintaining the historic character of the site while dramatically changing the use. Restoration and construction had to proceed quickly due to tourism demands. Patching and repairing the limestone, brick and terracotta, rather than removing and replacing it, was a much quicker and cost effective option. This option also preserved structural integrity. Matrix repair mortar was chosen because it offered two important benefits, it could be color matched on site and it could be finished to mimic the texture of the original.