Fitting In: A Narrow 260-Unit Apartment Building Pitched For Bethesda

• 11:25 AM EST

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Add another new residential development to the growing pipeline in downtown Bethesda.

Washington Property Company (WPC) is proposing to build a 260-unit apartment building at the site of two aging office buildings in the heart of downtown Bethesda. The properties, located at 4719 Hampden Lane and 4720 Montgomery Lane (map), were once part of a larger mixed-use vision known as Hampden East, but WPC is now pursuing a new plan that reimagines the assembled site with a high-rise multifamily building, underground parking, and public open space.

The proposed tower would have up to 17.6% Moderately Priced Dwelling Units (MPDUs), which would allow the developer to build 12 feet higher than the site’s 250-foot base height limit. The location, one block north of the future southern entrance to the Bethesda Metro and Purple Line station, positions the project as a major transit-oriented development.

Because the property is unusually narrow and shallow—particularly along 4719 Hampden Lane—architect Design Collective is employing alternative façade and massing treatments permitted under the Bethesda Downtown Design Guidelines. These techniques aim to ensure adequate access to light and air while still accommodating a functional residential floorplate. The building’s architecture will rely on articulation, variation, and step-backs to soften its scale, especially along the pedestrian-oriented frontages.

The proposal for the new building will go before Bethesda's Design Advisory Panel tomorrow. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/fitting_in_a_narrow_260-unit_apartment_building_pitched_for_bethesda/24146.