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National Landing
Winning Site Proposal for Amazon HQ2
2017-2018

The National Landing bid began in September 2017, with Amazon’s public RFP for a transit-proximal site to accommodate up to 8 million square feet of new development and $5b in new capital spending over 10+ years. During the following fourteen months, the bid developed at a furious pace, through two major formal submissions to Amazon and numerous rounds of visits, discussions, and negotiations between Amazon, lead property owner JBG SMITH, and public authorities in Arlington County, Alexandria, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. On 13 November 2018, Amazon announced National Landing as one of two winning sites, out of an initial field of over 200 ambitious competitors from the Unites States and Canada.

The planning vision evolved via intense collaboration with property owner and developer JBG SMITH, Arlington County, and other team members, and faced a number of significant challenges during the pursuit period: managing the rapid and demanding submission schedule, particularly in the case of Phase 1, which was due less than 6 weeks after the initial RFP appeared; rapidly creating and representing an initial development “path of growth” offering up to 17 million square feet of flexible development area across two cities; evaluating the long-term public benefits of varying interpretations of that path; developing and vetting a much more detailed development vision for Phase 2, including specific site density calculations and phasing concepts, plaza and streetscape ideas, and typical office cores/layouts; complying with certain site restrictions, including existing development approvals and FAA building height limits; and representing all work with consistently imaginative, sharp, and engaging visuals.

Among numerous significant concerns, Amazon showed special interest in the proximity of transit, airports, and urban centers; and in the walkability and overall quality of streetscapes. Both points provided major opportunities to emphasize the unique qualities and potential of the National Landing site, using clear diagrams and high-quality video. Along with other exhibits, the team developed a three-minute site walk/fly-through shown on a 20-foot wide video screen, and a 65-foot wide aerial rendering printed at 100 dots per inch. Both were presented in-person to Amazon representatives during a major and influential site visit.

National Landing
Winning Site Proposal for Amazon HQ2

images/VIDEO used with permission

Client: JBG Smith / Planning & Architecture: ZGF. Peter William Dougherty, Lead Designer; with contributions by Cook + Fox, SOM, Gensler, Morris Adjmi, ET. AL / Vertical Transportation: Michael Blades & Associates / Urban & RETAIL Strategy: Of Place / Marketing: Lyons & Sucher / Visualization: ATCHAIN REA HaviT brick visual