Well, JBG has gone and done it again: Brought in somebody who’s never before worked in Washington to design residential buildings on its Atlantic Plumbing sites at 8th and V Street NW. That would be Morris Adjmi, who’s accustomed to New York City and California. Despite stepping outside the familiar cast of characters, it’s not a terribly wild choice; the firm prides itself on contextual design, and is quite partial to columns (some of their stuff, like Disney’s headquarters at Celebration in Florida, is downright imperial). Oh, and good old Eric Colbert will serve as the architect of record, designing the nuts and bolts of Adjmi’s grand vision.

Unlike JBG’s last experiment with an out-of-towner, this one is just outside the U Street Historic District, so Historic Preservation Review Board members won’t have the chance to ponder whether he’s just too New York for D.C.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m. – Apparently it wasn’t clear that my indignation over a New York architect coming to Washington was a mildly sarcastic response to those who actually think there are some design ideas that don’t belong here. I think it’s fantastic to have new people in the mix. Just for the record.