FOX Architects Selected by First Potomac Realty Trust to Design 440 First Street NW in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX Architects (FOX), an expert in commercial office design and architecture is pleased to announce its selection by First Potomac Realty Trust (NYSE: FPO) as the architect for 440 First Street NW, a new Class A office building in Washington, DC. The project is expected to deliver in the second quarter of 2013, and will be the first redevelopment in the District for the DC-focused REIT.

"440 First Street will be transformed into a new, state-of-the-art office building," said JP Spickler, Principal of FOX Architects. "This design will serve as a more timeless expression of the building's structure, enclosure and internal functions."

Located in the prominent Capitol Hill submarket, the 105,000-square-foot building is ideally situated between the U.S. Capitol and Union Station. Through the use of Transfer Development Rights (TDR), the FOX design team will renovate, expand and reposition the eight-story structure into a new Class A office building. The vertical expansion will include two additional floors, increasing the existing gross square footage by approximately 35,000 square feet.

John E. Sadlik, Vice President of Construction for First Potomac Realty Trust, said, "First Potomac is very pleased to move forward on our first DC office redevelopment project with such a fine architecture firm like FOX Architects. FOX is highly regarded for its expertise with DC area projects, which was essential for us as our goal was to select a firm with an extensive record of accomplishments in the local market. 440 First Street will be one of the city's premier business addresses and we look forward to leveraging the talented team at FOX Architects to deliver a modern, Class A office building to the strong Capitol Hill submarket."

In its calculated sophistication, the glass curtain wall design will allow natural light into the spaces and provide unparalleled views of Capitol Hill and surrounding landmarks. Additional design features will include a complete modernization of the mechanical systems and the addition of a penthouse terrace complete with a green roof. Environmentally conscious renovation techniques will be utilized throughout the transformation to obtain a minimum USGBC rating of LEED® Gold.

About FOX Architects, LLC

Ranked among the Largest Design Firms in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area, FOX Architects is an award-winning firm of Architects, Interior Designers, and Graphic Designers with offices in Washington, DC and Virginia. Our portfolio highlights our expertise in commercial office design and architecture at the local and national level. Our multi-disciplined design approach seamlessly incorporates both our base building architecture and interior design capabilities. The partnership of these two disciplines ensures that each project will be conceived and constructed from the inside out, and the outside in. For more information visit us online at www.fox-architects.com and follow us on Twitter @FOXArchitects.

About First Potomac Realty Trust

First Potomac Realty Trust is a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust that focuses on owning, operating, developing and redeveloping office and industrial properties in the greater Washington, DC region. As of June 30, 2011, the Company's portfolio totaled over 14 million square feet.  Its portfolio consists of 39% business parks, 38% office and office parks, and 23% industrial properties. FPO shares are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:FPO). For more information, please visit www.first-potomac.com.

SOURCE FOX Architects