Atlantic Council Relocation

  • Client
    Cushman & Wakefield
  • Location
    Washington, DC
  • Size
    75,000-SF
Atlantic Council office
Awards
2025 ENR National Best Project | Interior/Tenant Improvement
2026 ASCE AEI Professional Project Awards | Award of Merit, Construction Management and Methods

Project Brief

DAVIS partnered with the Atlantic Council, a globally recognized think tank, to create a modern headquarters space that embodies their mission. Spanning 75,000-SF across five floors, this project was designed to support the organization’s dynamic operations, including private and open office layouts, state-of-the-art media and broadcast facilities, and executive-level meeting spaces.  

Atlantic Council office lobby
Staircase in the Atlantic Council HQ
Atlantic Council meeting space
Atlantic Council recording space

A Headquarters for the Future

The headquarters fit-out spans levels 8-12 of the building and includes a mix of office, conferencing, and media spaces, along with high-end executive suites. A key component of the project was the installation of a rooftop RTU unit, supported by a 20-by-50-foot new dunnage structure, that privately serves their new over-sized, conferencing facility. Level 11 serves as their main hub for media and conferencing, featuring a 3,000-SF, double-story multipurpose room (MPR). Creating this space required demolition of a 40-by-80-foot section of the 12th-floor slab and constructing four massive post-tensioned beams to support the roof and to maintain the structural integrity of the existing building.

To enhance the headquarters' functionality and to create a scenic & unique gathering area, DAVIS also constructed an exterior terrace directly off the "Sky Lounge" on Level 11. The installation of this terrace – 11 floors above L Street – required a cantilevered scaffold to facilitate the safe & efficient installation of upturned, continuous concrete beams, structural steel framing, modified curtainwall components and custom balcony finishes, beautifully complimenting exterior building finishes. Floor 12 houses the executive suites, complete with a 1,200-SF board room, private offices, and dedicated VIP support spaces. The project team executed the vast structural modifications for the MPR, installed the rooftop HVAC system, and constructed the 11th-floor exterior terrace as the first phase of construction, followed by tenant interiors modifications for the second phase.

Additional project features include:

  • Pantry and conferencing facilities on each floor
  • A 1,100-square-foot Situation Room on Level 9
  • A custom-built interconnecting stair between Levels 11 and 12
  • Broadcast studios with dedicated media interview spaces, a green room, and video editing suites

From overcoming structural challenges to managing complex building logistics, the Atlantic Council project required creativity, precision, and seamless collaboration amongst trade and business partners. The result is a world-class headquarters that meets the Atlantic Council’s ever-evolving needs for the future.