Rockville, MD – James G. Davis Construction (DAVIS) collaborated with The JBG Companies, Studios Architecture, and Orr Partners to create a fun and unique playhouse to benefit Rebuilding Together Montgomery County (RTMC). The playhouse, named “Live Move Play,” incorporates transit-oriented, mixed-use and sustainable design concepts. The team’s playhouse, along with seven one-of-a-kind houses built by industry professionals, will be auctioned as part of a large-scale fundraiser on May 29th to benefit RTMC in its mission to provide critical home repairs and energy efficiency upgrades to the county’s most vulnerable residents.
“Our playhouse will delight children with a train car, market, apartment, and fire pole connecting two levels,” said Dave Mensh, Director of Residential Construction at DAVIS. “DAVIS believes this charitable building project was a wonderful opportunity for our organization to partner with owners, architects, and construction managers. Through hard work and problem solving as a team we are able to support a great cause and make childrens’ dreams come true.”
The 8’x10’x12’ house is large enough for children and small adults alike to enter, explore, and play. With attention to interactive details such as an electric generating bike pedal, subway train car wobble-board floor, chalkboard walls and second story skylight, the concept of motion and transit has been expertly brought to life.
Clad in a compound curve of tempered Masonite and routed poplar staves, the train is painted metallic silver with striped graphics to resemble that of Metrorail. No detail has been left out, including the station map of destinations denoting popular Washington area landmarks that light up in sequence – 100 percent powered by the “engineer” operating the electric generating bike pedal!
In the market, café doors are painted with chalkboard paint so children can change the “daily specials.” Food display shelves, a counter for dining, and a cash register that reads bar codes all engage children in imaginative play. Up a flight of stairs to the living quarters, 12 rubber covered stepping boxes can be rearranged on the floor in unlimited patterns. The apartment is complete with a small bed and storage box, a hammock that is suspended over the market, and a fire pole that invites a quick exit to the train.
DAVIS Construction and partners completed the design, procured donated materials through relationships with subcontractors, and constructed the playhouse in eight weeks. All playhouses will be on display through the month of May at The Shops at Wisconsin Place.
RTMC launched the first RTMC Playhouse Project in 2012 and raised $114,000, which allows the nonprofit to undertake 120 home repairs projects each year by mobilizing 1,500 volunteers and delivering $1.3 million back to the community. To learn more about RTMC, please visit www.rebuildingtogethermc.org.
ABOUT THE JBG COMPANIES
Headquartered in Chevy Chase, Md., The JBG Companies is a private real estate development firm that develops, owns and manages office, residential, hotel and retail properties. The company has more than $10 billion in assets under management and development in the Washington, DC area. Since 1960, JBG has been active in the communities where it invests, striving to make a positive impact. More information can be found by visiting the company’s website, www.JBG.com, or by calling 240.333.3600.
ABOUT DAVIS CONSTRUCTION
Founded in 1966, DAVIS Construction serves as a general contractor, construction manager, and design-build partner for base buildings, renovations, residential, sustainable and interior construction in the Washington, DC area. Consistently ranked as an industry leader both nationally and locally, DAVIS Construction was most recently recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of the area’s “Best Places to Work” for the eighth consecutive year.
For more information, please visit davisconstruction.com or follow us @DAVISbuilds #DAVISinMotion #WeNeverStop
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For More Information
Jamie Ng Rose, Lead Marketing Coordinator
jrose@davisconstruction.com
301-255-2164