PROJECT OVERVIEW

3901 Fairfax Drive is a 9-story, 201,000 SF Class A commercial office building with retail space in Arlington's Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor. The project is positioned to serve as a neighborhood and community hub through its dynamic plaza and retail design. The plaza design differentiates 3901 from other mixed-use office developments in the region by prioritizing access to outdoor green space, community engagement and programming.

The International WELL Building Institute recognized the project as one of the first office buildings awarded a WELL Precertification in the Washington region. Additionally, the project is targeting WiredScore and LEED Gold certifications.

PRECAST SOLUTION

Smith-Midland provided the architectural precast concrete cladding as part of the façade building enclosure system. Solid wall panels in a single color mix feature two finishing types — acid-etch and medium sandblast — forming a grid of vertical piers and horizontal spandrel bands that frame the curtainwall across all four elevations. Panels were fabricated using a lower-carbon concrete mix design to meet the project's sustainability targets; the EC3 tool confirmed embodied carbon came in 31% below the 2021 industry baseline. Erection began March 2023.

 

Project Team

General Contractor

Skanska USA Building, Inc.

Architect

Arcadis (formerly Callison RTKL, Inc.)

Engineer-of-Record

IMEG Corporation

Precast Concrete Specialty Engineer

The Consulting Engineers Group

PCI-Certified Precast Producer

Smith-Midland Corporation

PCI-Certified Erector

EE Marr Erectors / Modern Precast Erectors

Key Project Attributes

  • Solid wall panels, single color mix — acid-etch and medium sandblast finishes
  • Lower-carbon concrete mix design; embodied carbon 31% below the 2021 EC3 industry baseline
  • First WELL Precertified new office construction in Northern Virginia
  • Full-block site with setbacks on all four sides — panel layout optimized for maximum glazing ratio and daylighting performance
  • Urban erection in an active retail and pedestrian plaza environment
  • NAIOP Best Buildings Award: Office Award of Merit

Project/Precast Scope

  • 201,000 Total SF
  • 21,102 SF of Precast
  • Solid Wall Panels
  • Single Color Mix
  • Acid-Etch and Medium Sandblast Finishes