Arlingtonians Seem to Like the HQ2 Designs, Thank You Very Much
While the public has been debating the merits and meanings of Amazon's eye-popping design for its Arlington headquarters (HQ2) since it was shared last month, it seems Arlingtonians are far less polarized.
On Thursday night, Arlington County launched the public review process for the HQ2 proposal, giving people their first opportunity to share comments and ask questions about what could be headed to the block northeast of S Fern Street and 12th Street S (map).
The proposal includes 3.16 million square feet of office space across three buildings with ground-floor retail, another 24,000 square feet of retail across three "pavilion" buildings, and a nearly 370,000 square-foot, 350 foot-tall corkscrew-shaped office amenity building dubbed The Helix, interspersed with over two acres of open space.
story continues below
loading...story continues above
If the first meeting was any indication, Pentagon City residents are more interested in the nuances of the proposal than the ambition of the design.
The only noteworthy criticisms voiced were a comment that the rooflines of the non-Helix buildings are too "flat" and lack visual interest, and a concern that those same buildings have a noticeable lack of green space along the façade compared to The Helix. For those who chose to comment on the design, descriptors included "creative", "wonderful", "interesting", and "powerful".
As for concerns, some wondered about the particulars of the sustainability plans and whether the development (don't call it a "campus") should meet its net-zero energy goal before the target date of 2040. There was also a question of whether the glass façades of the buildings would be bird-friendly.
Others were more concerned about the configuration and accessibility of the spaces that the public will have access to, including the central plaza, a 20,000 square-foot community center on the ground floor of one of the office buildings, and the outdoor terraces of The Helix itself.
NBBJ is the architect for the site and Scape Studio is the landscape architect. Assuming that approvals are timely, the first building could deliver by 2025. Amazon is already occupying some leased space in the neighborhood and has begun construction just down the street at Metropolitan Park.
See other articles related to: amazon, amazon hq2, amazon second headquarters, arlington county, nbbj, pentagon city
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/arlingtonians-seem-to-like-the-hq2-designs-thank-you-very-much/18052.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever
The big news in the development pipeline east of DC's H Street Corridor is the resur... read »
In this article, UrbanTurf looks at the estimated annual maintenance costs associated... read »
Today, UrbanTurf is examining one of our favorite metrics regarding competition in th... read »
Another concept has been unveiled for one of DC's most contentious development sites,... read »
The residential development in the works along Florida Avenue NE is looking to increa... read »
- The 4 Projects In The Works Near DC's Starburst Intersection
- What Are the Annual Maintenance Costs When You Own a Home?
- The 6 Places In The DC Area Where You Aren't The Only One Bidding On a Home
- A First Look At The New Plans For Adams Morgan's SunTrust Plaza
- 46 to 48: The Biggest Project In Trinidad Looks To Get Bigger
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro