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Carr Properties
The Elm by Carr Properties

The Elm by Carr Properties
Award of Excellence
Best Multi-Family Project - Montgomery, Prince Georges or Frederick Counties

Project Team

Carr Properties - (Owner + Developer)
Shalom Baranes Associates - (Architect)
Clark Construction - (General Contractor)
Carr Properties - (Project Management)
Insight Property Group
Bozzuto
EditLab by Streetsense

Project Description

The Elm is a 30-story, two-tower apartment building that is a part of a roughly 1.3 million square foot mixed-use, transit-oriented development, located in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland. The Elm is comprised of 456 residential units and enclosed above grade parking for 400 cars. Additionally, the project includes a below grade transit station and associated tunnel for the Maryland Purple Line light rail train line, a transit plaza and entrance benefiting the Purple Line and WMATA Red Line metro stops, a new tunnel for the metropolitan Capital Crescent Trail (CCT), and a commensurate public bicycle storage room, for up to 650 bicycles.

The design of The Elm connects modern living within a residential destination that marries sophistication and comfort. The two 30-story luxury apartment towers feature stunning views of Washington, DC and beyond from the glass Skybridge, hosting the main interior amenity space and rooftop pool deck. Apartment offerings include studios to townhome-style three-bedrooms, featuring high-end design touches and premium finishes, plus inspired community spaces for dining, working, and relaxing.

The Elm defines a new image for downtown Bethesda. Its location at the south end of the new enhanced Bethesda Downtown Sector Plan serves as a gateway to the suburban area. The Sector Plan allows the development to rise 295-feet tall and zoning offered opportunities for the design team to carve away the iconic podium and tower massing. The Elm, combined at the base, consists of two slim towers with layering facades that yield numerous covered terraces and balconies. The residential towers combine at the top with a signature Skybridge, containing an awe-inspiring amenity space with unrivaled views of metropolitan Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

The complex design and construction sequencing necessitated the involvement of many public and private stakeholders. The Purple Line Transit Partners, WMATA, and Montgomery County Recreation and Parks Department, all had unique construction sequencing and design requirements. Thoughtful consideration and tight coordination were required to imagine and construct The Elm. In addition to the retail, office, and residential components of the project, the Purple Line Station tunnel, CCT tunnel, public bike storage, and WMATA ventilation and egress shafts, were all housed in the same triangular site. Moreover, a historic building required relocation from the site prior to demolition, necessitating consultation with the local and state Historic Preservation Commissions. Erection of the 60-foot-long, two-story Skybridge, spanning the top of the residential towers, was the result of more than 18 months of planning between the contractor, designers, trade, and municipal partners.

The Elm promotes many opportunities for sustainability and well-being. Landscaped terraces are dispersed across the project located at the main multi-modal public plaza, as well as four terraces and a rooftop pool at The Elm. The Elm is currently under review for LEED Gold certification. This is achieved utilizing various building materials and systems such as, high-performing window wall construction, efficient mechanical heating and cooling systems, leading edge air filtration such as Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI), hands-free building access, an onsite rainwater bioretention facility, and the like.

THANK YOU TO OUR AWARDS SPONSORS
Clark Construction Company Brandywine Realty Trust Glass Jacobson The Tower Companies Trammell Crow Company Trammell Crow Company


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