ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA
Arlington’s Met Park and a series of 19 private terraces—ranging from dog runs and community farms to event and collaboration spaces—compose the suite of open spaces for the first phase of Amazon’s new Arlington Headquarters (HQ2). The design draws on the area’s natural context and plays an important role in the D.C. metro area, where green and pedestrian networks are defining the region’s growth and development. The park’s design appropriately balances places for active recreation and urban refuge and includes a large and flexible space for both significant events and intimate gatherings, as well as gardens and walks. A new type of park emerges—one that serves the community and corporate Amazon employees alike.
Central to the design of this project is the inspiration of the wild. By evoking Met Park’s natural context—piedmont and coastal plain landscapes—Field Operations emphasizes the critical role nature can play in defining a place and its history while strengthening collective health and well-being.
Photography by Michael Zhao.