Colden L'Hommedieu Ruggles "Coke" Florance

1931 - 2023

Florance

Colden L'Hommedieu Ruggles Florance (Coke)

Coke Florance FAIA, practiced architecture in Washington DC across 6 decades, playing a major role in shaping the architectural identity of the city. He led the design of hundreds of area buildings, was renowned for his work in historic preservation, and mentored many of today's most talented architects.



Coke was born in Baltimore, Maryland on January 24, 1931 to Eustace Lee Florance and Colden Ruggles. The family moved to Washington, DC soon thereafter and he attended St Albans School, graduating in the class of 1948. Coke went on to graduate magna cumma sum laude from Princeton University in 1952 with an AB in Architecture. He earned a Masters in Fine Arts from Princeton in 1955. Soon after graduation, Coke was commissioned as an officer in the Navy and became a Seabee stationed in Madrid, Spain, building bases and radar networks in the early days of the cold war. Coke took great pride in continuing his family's long distinguished history of serving in the U.S. Military. When he completed his service, he returned to Washington and began his architectural career with Chloethiel Woodard Smith, a noted Washington Modernist who at the time headed the largest woman led architecture practice in the country. Coke continued his practice with Keyes Lethbridge & Condon which later became Keyes Condon Florance, then Florance Eichbaum Esocoff King. At the age of 68, Coke merged the firm into the Smith Group, one of the largest architectural practices in the country, and he continued to enjoy practicing there for two more decades.



Across his distinguished career, Coke led design teams responsible for many award winning buildings internationally including schools, colleges, embassies, museums, offices, sports venues, and residential projects. His legacy will long continue in the city's architecture landscape. Those projects include the Capital One Center, the Shakespeare Theatre building across from the Capital One Center, the Washington National Cathedral Visitors Center, Crescent Place, St Alban's School Steuart building and Martin Gymnasium, Salvation Army Corps Center, Residences at McLean Gardens, and buildings at the Norwood School, Georgetown Prep, Maret School, Bethesda, The Levine School of Music, and University of Maryland. He developed Master plans for George Washington University, Pentagon Area, Trinity University, Wesley Seminary, Poplar Point, Southeast Federal Center, Bowling Air Force Base, Buzzard Point, and the Anacostia Park. He was renowned for his work in historic renovation and adaptive reuse with projects such as the Old Executive Office Building (White House complex), The original Women in Arts Museum, National Building Museum, National Postal Museum, Science Center in Kansas City, and the Greyhound building at 1100 New York Ave. One of the projects closest to his heart was the Normandy American Visitor Center in Normandy France.



Coke was consistently engaged in the civic life of the city. He served as a board member of The Historic Preservation Review Board, DC Preservation League, Federal City Council, Design Review Board Baltimore Development Corporation, Salvation Army, Washington Project for the Arts, St. Albans School, The Levine School of Music and Maret School. He served as a Commissioner, D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities. Coke was an Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation at the University and guest lectured Princeton, Harvard Business School, Catholic University, and the Smithsonian Resident Associate program. Coke served as the President for the Washington Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.



Coke, a Fellow of the AIA, received more than 36 awards for his work in Architecture. These include the American Institute of Architecture's Washington Centennial Medal for improving the city's built environment and the District of Columbia's Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.



Coke took particular pleasure in mentoring countless emerging gifted architects that today have an impact on the design of contemporary architecture in Washington, DC and beyond.



Coke is survived by his loving wife of more than 20 years, Nancy Griscom. Coke is survived by three children by his first wife Barbara Dale Crosby: Hilary Esmonde-White (Patrick), Susanna Florance (Steve Fisher), and Andy Florance (Heather). Coke has four grandchildren, Delliana Esmonde-White, Dr. Caroline Esmonde-White, Christopher Florance, and Matthew Florance. Coke was very close with his stepchildren Rufus Griscom, Bronson Griscom, Amanda Little, John Benziger, and Betsy (Benziger) Davis. He was predeceased by a son, Christopher Florance, and his brother Eustace Lee Florance III with whom he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery.



Coke enjoyed a warm, loving Christmas with his family and passed peacefully in his sleep in Washington, DC on December 28, 2023.



A memorial service will be held at the Little Sanctuary Chapel at St Albans School Washington, DC, January 20 at 2 p.m.