The idea of Amazon’s new second headquarters, planned for Arlington, Va., is to connect the community.
Sure, doing business is the need that is driving the creation of the second headquarters campus of the mammoth retailer, but that campus is being planned with the surrounding community in mind, as well.
“We are looking to build an urban campus that will allow our employees to think creatively, to be a part of the surrounding community, and to remain connected to the region’s unique culture and environment,” writes John Schoettler, on Amazon’s blog. “As with our Seattle headquarters, we plan to invest in developing a new headquarters in Arlington that will grow alongside its neighbors, supporting local businesses, building new public spaces for all to enjoy, and integrating sustainable design features throughout our campus.”
See Also: Amazon will not build HQ2 in New York City
Last week, Amazon filed development plans with local officials, and the company also announced that the Amazon HQ2 is part of the Metropolitan Park site. That site is an urban renewal project in National Landing.
“The first phase of our ‘ground-up’ construction will see the redevelopment of a block of vacant warehouses into two new LEED Gold-certified buildings, new retail space for area businesses, and plenty of open space for the community to enjoy. These buildings are the first step to creating an urban campus where our future 25,000 employees and the local community can live, work and play,” Schoettler says.
The campus will include more than 2 million SF of LEED-certified office buildings, which will have outdoor terraces for employees. A day care center, plus 50,000 sf of shops and restaurants, will bring more of a community feel to the campus. A multipurpose one-acre park, plus easy bike access to the spot, will further enhance that community feel.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declined in 333 of 352 metro areas in June
Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The analysis shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Hensel Phelps among the nation's 50 largest design-build contractors
A ranking of the Top 50 Design-Build Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Arup, SOM top BD+C's ranking of the country's largest mixed-use design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 Mixed-Use Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
10% of world's skyscraper construction on hold
Emporis, the largest provider of global building data worldwide, reported that 8.7% of all skyscrapers listed as "under construction" in its database had been put on hold. Most of these projects have been halted in the second half of 2008. According to Emporis statistics, the United States had been hit the worst: at the beginning of 2008, "Met 3" in Miami was the only U.S. skyscraper listed as being "on hold". In the second half of the year, 19 projects followed suit.
| Aug 11, 2010
Structure Tone, Turner among the nation's busiest reconstruction contractors, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 Reconstruction Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
IFMA workplace study: Average space per employee up 40 sf since 2007, likely due to corporate layoffs
The International Facility Management Association has released “Operations and Maintenance Benchmarks, Research Report #32,” a study outlining the facility trends affecting workplaces throughout North America. Among the new report’s findings are that the average space per person has risen nearly 40 square feet since 2007, likely due to recent corporate layoffs.
| Aug 11, 2010
'Too cold' and 'too hot' most common complaints among office workers, says IFMA study
The International Facility Management Association has released “Temperature Wars: Savings vs. Comfort,” a new study that takes an in-depth look at the most common thermal complaints made by workers and the variety of ways facility professionals respond to them.For many years, IFMA has surveyed facility professionals to learn the top office complaints among employees.
| Aug 11, 2010
Best AEC Firms of 2011/12
Later this year, we will launch Best AEC Firms 2012. We’re looking for firms that create truly positive workplaces for their AEC professionals and support staff. Keep an eye on this page for entry information. +
| Aug 11, 2010
Manitoba Hydro Place, Tornado Tower among world's 'best tall buildings,' according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat last week announced the winners of its annual “Best Tall Building” awards for 2009, recognizing one outstanding tall building from each of four geographical regions: Americas, Asia & Australia, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. This year’s winners are: Manitoba Hydro Place, Winnipeg, Canada; Linked Hybrid, Beijing, China; The Broadgate Tower, London, UK; Tornado Tower, Doha, Qatar.
