NBBJ and Amazon teamed up to revitalise the underdeveloped site in Arlington. It will include new offices, community spaces, outdoor seating and public retail outlets.
Additional public spaces include a forest grove, dog park, restaurants and food trucks, and an amphitheatre, which will host outdoor concerts, farmers’ markets and movie screenings.
Amazon’s new HQ is inspired by biophilia, an innate human connection to nature. The spiral-shaped tower is the centrepiece of this concept, and is called the Helix.
The Helix will offer alternative work environments for employees of Amazon. There will be lush gardens, native trees, and two outdoor hiking paths that will spiral up the outside of the Helix.
Spiral-shaped tower named the Helix
The project features three office buildings, including the Helix. These will all run on 100 percent renewable energy from a solar farm in Pittsylvania County.
“The new headquarters unites 2.8 million square feet (260,000 square metres) of offices, public gathering areas and street-front retail that seek to create a healthier workforce and community,” NBBJ told Dezeen.
“Interweaving green space with exploratory moments, the project will offer varied nature-infused experiences that invite discovery, collaboration and reflection.”
Gardens and trees will be watered by rainwater runoff. There will be bike parking for employees, as well as electric vehicle charging points.
Offices run on 100% renewable energy
According to NBBJ, the proposed design “seeks to re-envision the future of work to better support the wellbeing of employees and the community”.
Amazon HQ will be a welcoming pedestrian environment, with all streets moved underground. Spaces across the site will prioritise walking rather than driving.
NBBJ previously designed offices for Google in California and Tencent in Shenzen.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s Doug Gurr was recently announced as the new Director of the Natural History Museum in London.
