Social Sketching: Columns & Coffee at The Summerhouse

Columns & Coffee is a monthly social sketching excursion led by the L’Enfants, the emerging architects branch of the ICAA-WMA. This month we will be sketching at the Summerhouse. Located in an area of the city known for monumental buildings and memorials, the Summerhouse is a small oasis of quiet and relaxation. This true hidden gem was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 1870s as a place to provide shade and water to Capitol visitors. Its red brick is a notable departure from other buildings on the Capitol Grounds and National Mall, but the material is used to great effect in its decorative niches and geometric patterns. Though often overlooked by the casual tourist, it still fulfills its original mission of providing fresh, filtered water to anyone passing by. 

We will meet at the West Wing Café at D Street and New Jersey Avenue at 10:00am. We will be sketching for about 2.5-3 hours, but people are welcome to come and go as they please.

Photo Courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol