Braddock West is a residential mixed-use building in Old Town West, Alexandria, adjacent to the Braddock Road Metro Station. In addition to the district’s rich history dating to the founding of the country, the site has a complex physical context, between the station to the west, a district of newer high-rise office and residential blocks north and a single-family neighborhood the south. The western facade of the building addresses the Braddock Road Metro Station and is the formal front of the building and a gateway element for rail commuters and residents; while the building’s massing is broken into two primary masonry volumes that are stepped in height to respond to the surrounding building scales. The primary volumes create a seam which defines the buildings front door on axis with the station, and are set atop a two-story base that creates additional occupiable shoulders, and addresses the pedestrian scale of the walking streets to the north, south and west.

A rich vocabulary of brick colors and details are accented with more delicate metalwork elements at the retail and upper levels, including custom vertical screen feature that marks the primary building entrance on axis with the station and a trellised roof terrace that crowns the western façade. The resulting expression is a contemporary homage to Old Town’s historic architecture.

The ground floor hosts a true retail corner at N. West Street and Wythe Street. This corner is chamfered to create an outdoor retail terrace and open views to the station for pedestrians approaching the station from the east. Additionally, the ground floor hosts several “flex” units that can serve as residential loft units, live/work units, or additional retail as the neighborhood evolves. The balance of the ground floor is programmed with building lobby and residential amenity spaces that open onto a shared terrace in the shallow courtyard to the east.

Braddock West is a 5 over 2 Type IIIA podium-style building with a single underground parking level.

Details
180 units
170,350 sf residential
9,340 sf flex
1,500 sf retail
108 parking spaces