2100 Penn

2100 Penn is a new 11-story V-shaped trophy office building featuring over 500,000 sf of space, including ground-level retail and three below-grade levels of parking. The structure is primarily built using post-tensioned slabs and concrete columns, optimized to balance usable space with DC’s height restrictions and foundation requirements. Engineering solutions including 9.5-inch post-tensioned slabs and long-span cantilever design were utilized to minimize material use while maximizing efficiency.

A central design highlight is the building’s striking atrium, which features 30- to 70-foot steel trusses supporting the glass roof. Close coordination with contractors and manufacturers was needed to ensure the trusses met both the glass deflection tolerances and construction load requirements. The team also engineered the lobby’s dramatic floating grand staircase and designed a complex curtain wall system that steps inwards at various levels, stabilized by horizontal steel trusses and heavy transfer girders.