Page 59 - Fall 2019

Chapter Design Award in Architecture

VITA Tysons
Tysons, VA
Shalom Baranes Associates

Interior Design Consultants: Cecconi Simone
Landscape Architects: Rhodeside & Harwell
Structural Engineers: Cardno
MEP Engineers: WSP
General Contractor: Donohoe Construction Company

The VITA Tysons project, another project by Shalom
Baranes Associates, is a 512,000-square-foot, 429-unit
apartment tower located at 7902 Tysons One Place in
Tysons, Virginia, almost directly across from the Tysons
Corner Metro Station. The 30-floor structure—the first
phase of a master plan developed to promote a more
walkable and sustainable hub—is currently the tallest
building in the vicinity. It is part of a mixed-use
development that also includes a hotel and an office
tower connected to Tysons Corner Center.
The building’s plan, with two primary bends,
responds to the project’s somewhat irregularly shaped
site. “An important design goal was to create a building
profile and image from distant views that would enhance
the skyline for motorists and transit riders on [Metro’s]
Silver Line,” the firm said. “The form developed from a
traditional shaped diagram provided in the master plan.
Bending the shape in the east and west corners significantly
improved light and views in the apartments. Pinching
and shaping of the east edges created view separation
and added privacy between the apartments and neigh-
boring office building. The corridors of the residential
levels are offset, providing a more intimate floor plate of
two shorter wings.” The project “has been recognized for
setting a new tone as neighboring communities begin
their own architectural transformations in response to
growth along the expanding Silver Line.”
The building was previously covered in the Spring 2016 issue
of ARCHITECTUREDC.

VITA Tysons. Photo © Alan Karchmer/OTTO

Lobby of VITA Tysons. Photo © Alan Karchmer/OTTO
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