Georgetown University (650 Mass Ave)

This two-story, glass fin façade at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies is located in the burgeoning East End area at 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, overlooking historic Mt. Vernon square. The building was formerly a television studio with a windowless street face, dark rooms, blank walls and minimal daylight. But its location was key, and it was identified as the ideal site for the relocation of Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Education. This bustling section of downtown could accommodate the growing needs of the school, afford convenient connections for students and faculty, and help expand its reach. The architects from STUDIOS Architecture in Washington DC were enlisted to make this vision a reality, and to transform the existing space into one that was light, open and inviting to the surrounding community. With an emphasis on light and transparent materials, Sentech’s VetraFin G-Series System was selected to replace the windowless façade with a two-story structural glass fin façade, utilizing laminated glass with minimal componentry to bring daylight deep into the space and enhance the brightness and conviviality of the entrance while creating a beacon of light deep into the night. Elegant, seamless and transparent, this structure realizes the transformative potential of glass to connect and expose the many dynamic facets that make up the School of Continuing Studies.