Hall & Bennett Law Office
Structure 9 (A1)
146 Avenue B NW
Year Built 1960
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Tour Narrative
From City Hall, continue south on 3rd Street to Avenue B NW and turn left, then pass through the traffic light at 2nd Street and look for the next building on your right.
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You can see that the Hall and Bennett legal office is very different from the other buildings so far on this tour. Built in 1960, the structure sits low on the site. It is also more sedate than some of the larger commercial buildings on the tour. At first glance, it looks as if it might be a renovation. But the brick and basic design is original. It is simply designed for a different purpose, according to a basic rule of architecture, that form follows function. But that doesn't mean you have to follow the crowd.
The office building was designed for two attorneys to share, but Leedy shows respect for the individuals through the structure. Separate doors flanking the front foyer lead into a common waiting room, but clients entering the offices on each side have complete privacy. One attorney noted that this space facilitates a sense of calm. He added that the courtyard walls bring the outside in, while simultaneously maintaining privacy. Talk about attorney-client privilege!
This courtyard design is used in Leedy's houses for the same reason. Listen as Leedy explains the psychological aspects of his work:
"Architecture is very important. It's important in everything. It's important in your every day life. It makes you feel good. And a good house or a good office, makes you feel good in it. You don't know subconsciously why you're feeling good in it, but that's the way it works."
And that is how this office subconsciously works. It was one of the many Leedy buildings that prompted his mentor and friend Paul Rudolph to write to a letter of recommendation for a fellowship to the American Institute of Architects. Rudolph wrote that Leedy's interest in the psychology of space and the appropriateness of that space to human use was obvious in his work. He then continued that this understanding of space is rare indeed, and should be celebrated. The Institute agreed and Leedy was installed into the College of Fellows in 1992.
We'll see some more examples of what got him there. As you leave here, think of how your surroundings affect your state of mind. Do you feel safe, happy, at peace? Now you're thinking like a good architect!
