After Pierre L’Enfant included it in his 1791 District Plan, Washington, DC’s Southwest Waterfront grew into a diverse community driven by the industrial waterfront economy. In the 1950s, the federal government spearheaded Brutalist-style redevelopment of Southwest, and in the last two decades the neighborhood has transformed again into a district of private offices and modern apartment blocks surrounding Nationals Park. For JBG Smith’s 5M development, Workstead is fostering an emotional connection between residents and a place that is still settling into its new identity. Concrete surfaces embrace Brutalist heritage, while coffered wood ceilings recreate that midcentury movement’s waffle slabs in a warm material. Breezy fabrics and waveform-imprinted concrete panels provide further counterpoint to the interior’s weighty fundaments, and our arrangement and finishing of amenity spaces invite relaxed self- expression as well as genuine social interactions.