The Axis

The AXIS at Howard is a reimagined mixed-use property that includes modern living space on Howard’s main campus. The property offers a refreshed contemporary façade and 176 new units with scenic views of Howard’s iconic campus, expanding through Downtown D.C. 

Sitting on the corner of Georgia Avenue and Bryant Street Northwest, the building that houses Starbucks, The Howard University Barnes & Noble Bookstore and now the Axis residence hall was once a vibrant, sought-out hotel destination for Black people visiting Washington, D.C. It began as the Harambee House when it was built and leased from the federal government by Ed Murphy, an African American entrepreneur, in 1979. Howard acquired the hotel from the Federal Economic Development Administration for $1.3 million two years later, and it became known as the Howard University Inn.

Currently AXIS adaptively reuses the building in a fashion which modernizes and expands access to housing. This renovation, completed in 2019, was another realization of the Howard Forward 2024 strategic plan that provides an invaluable living experience in the Howard community.