Dacha Relocation

Washington, DC / March 2023

Washington International School’s picturesque log dacha was built in 1945 by a former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union in the style of traditional Russian summer houses. In 2023, the school began construction of a new academics building, which entailed moving the dacha to a wooded section of the campus several hundred feet from its original location. Wolfe lifted the 1½-story log building from its rubble foundation walls and, in a 5-hour window during spring break, drove it across campus to its new location, setting it on cribbing and steel while the foundation was built up under it. The new setting complements the building’s history and architecture and ensures its place in campus life for years to come.

Photos courtesy of Washington International School