David Varner, an architect who helped transform some of Washington’s best-known workplaces, died of a heart attack Nov. 13 at his home in Bellingham, Washington. He was 61.
Varner started his career, which spanned 35 years across a number of architecture firms in D.C., at Keyes Condon Florance Eichbaum Esocoff King. He later joined Bowie Gridley Architects, Shalom Baranes Associates and finally SmithGroup’s D.C. office, where he served as director starting in 2015. He stepped down in August 2020, retiring to the Pacific Northwest.
Over his career, Varner led the redevelopment and redesign of many buildings in Greater Washington, bringing an integrated design approach that joined the work of architects and engineers. Among the products of this work were the 2009 renovation of 1440 New York Ave. NW, and the new D.C. Water headquarters in Navy Yard, which was completed in 2019. In each case, his knack for creative reimagination of existing space and integration of efficient design elements…
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