1415 S. Eads Arlington

The new 19-story multi-family tower designed by bKL Architecture, will be located adjacent to Amazon’s HQ2 campus in Arlington, VA. The new corporate campus is setting the tone for future land use along Richmond Highway. The tower will replace the outdated four-story mid-century Americana Hotel with a new apartment building featuring approximately 600 units.

The site’s narrow 90-foot frontage and 500-foot depth presented unique challenges for bKL architects. Additionally, the tower’s height limit of 19 stories, due to its proximity to Reagan National Airport, greatly influenced the design. The successful incorporation of various step backs and slight canting across the elongated north and south facades of the building, provide ample “breathing room” between Americana and its neighboring structures.

To achieve visual continuity with neighboring buildings, bKL architects chose precast concrete for the exterior of the tower. The building’s entrance features a distinct four-story trellis-like structure that extends over the entry drive and acts as a visual landmark. The outcome is a tower that seamlessly integrates with its environment while echoing the proportions of the mid-century hotel that previously stood on the site.