The french Influence on Washington DC

Washington DC’s architecture and urban design have always been influenced by French precedents, from the layout of the city by Pierre L’Enfant to the Beaux-Arts style of architecture that dominates the city. Today, we assume that the design of the city was always under the purview of architects, but this was not always the case. After the Civil War, the construction of the nation’s capital was the responsibility of the military, who also had the ability to make design changes when deemed necessary. In addition, the military education in the United States was heavily influence by the French military education system, especially L’Ecole Polytechnique. This lecture will trace these French influences and their impact on the built environment of Washington DC. Interspersed within the presentation will be descriptions of the most recent conservation projects at the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Carnegie Library, and the Jefferson Memorial.

Biography

Constance Lai, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is the Historic Preservation Manager for Grunley Construction, where she bridges the worlds of architecture, preservation, sustainability, and construction. With over 24 years of experience in preservation, Constance has worked on some of the most high-profile landmarks in Washington, DC, including the EEOB (State, War, and Navy Building), the Washington Monument, the White House, the US Capitol, Carnegie Library, the Arts and Industries Building, the National Museum of Natural History, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Rice University, and a master’s degree from MIT in Architectural and Art History, Theory, and Criticism. She is a board member of the National Building Museum and the National Preservation Institute and is a Richard Morris Hunt Prize laureate.