The Helicopter Factory in Columbia Heights

770-774 Girard Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

The Helicopter Factory in Columbia Heights is a recently delivered condominium community, combining the renovation of historic industrial warehouses with new construction for a total of 15 upscale loft-style residences. Located on Girard Street, the condos have floorplans from two-bedrooms to four-bedrooms plus den. The two largest units are in the original brick warehouses. An additional 13 units are in a three-story L-shaped contemporary structure that sits behind the old buildings. 

The industrial site dates back to 1900 and was home to German inventor Emile Berliner for more than 20 years. Berliner had already patented the first Gramophone before moving to Washington. But it was at Girard Street that he set up Berliner’s Gyro Motor Company, pioneering light-weight rotary engines for vertical flight—aka helicopters. More than a century later, Berliner’s old warehouse workshop was reinvented, preserving original elements while adding all the expected modern luxury features.

The oversized loft residences inside the warehouses have exposed interior brick walls, overhead heavy beams and wooden ceilings, along with modern kitchens and giant roof decks. Inside the new building you’ll find a combination of flats and two-story lofts. Here, the design also reflects a new modernism while adding retro elements, such as setting high-end kitchens into white brick walls and incorporating overhead wooden beams and sliding barn doors. The Restoration Hardware finishes lend character, while wide-plank hardwood floors, floating staircases, gas fireplaces, luxury baths and premium appliances add to the overall effect.

The Helicopter Factory is at 770 to 774 Girard Street NW in Columbia Heights, close to Howard University and the McMillan Reservoir. The Columbia Metro Station is within walking distance to the north, and there are numerous bars, cafes and coffee shops along Georgia Avenue which is less than a block east. There’s also a Whole Foods in the area as well as more shops, restaurants and entertainment along 11th Street, 14th Street and U Street. Recent sales prices at the Helicopter Factory have ranged between $689,000 and $2.3 million.

The Helicopter Factory | A loft style condominium property in Columbia Heights