History

ECA is known for transformational residential and mixed-use projects.  When Eric Colbert founded the firm in 1982, the work was primarily rehabilitations of deteriorated apartment buildings for low and moderate income residents.  Beginning in the 1990’s, ECA’S work consisted of renovations and new construction of apartment houses for market-rate rental and condominium residences.  Retail street levels and other mixed-use functions appeared in the firm’s work in the 2000’s, new construction started to predominate, and average project sizes increased.  In these post-Great Recession years, ECA has added Executive Architect to our range of offerings, working with some of the biggest names in American architecture, while continuing to expand our own design portfolio. ECA has received numerous design awards over the years, and has emerged as one of the leading architects of Washington DC’s urban renaissance.