AIA|DC Giants of Washington Architecture Ep 1 - Hugh Newell Jacobsen, FAIA

People outside of Washington often think that its architecture is limited to classical government buildings and center-hall colonial houses. That is a really outdated image of Washington that we at the District Architecture Center are working to dispel. In the 21st Century, in fact, DC is one of most vibrant cities in America. This didn’t happen by some fluke; it happened because a lot of people worked hard to get us here. Right outside our doors on 7th Street, NW was a dismal empty street in the 1990s, and now it’s one of the liveliest spots in the city. All those people who were willing to take a risk on downtown, who believed in Washington, we owe them. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, we have a great city today because we are standing on their shoulders. That’s what this series is about, those visionaries and risk takers, who believed in this city when it wasn’t particularly fashionable or cool to do so. Episode 1 describes the career of Hugh Newell Jacobsen, FAIA, a modern master in everyone’s estimation, and looks at several of his projects and the people practicing today who were greatly influenced by him. This series made possible by a grant from the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This material is based upon work supported in part by a grant from the DC Preservation League. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the Washington Chapter/AIA or its officers, directors or employees.