Over the past decade, Alexandria, Virginia, and its Old Town North neighborhood, has become a popular area to live and shop and is increasingly a first choice for people of all ages to visit call home.

One of the largest retail real estate developers in the country, EDENS, saw a special opportunity to create a center of retail shopping for tourists and residents, combined with market-rate luxury apartments. Situated in the Old Town North neighborhood of the City of Alexandria, Gables Old Town North will become a new retail hub and gateway for the district. The mixed-use development is anchored at the street level by over 50,000 sf of retail, a public plaza, and tranquil green space. Standing at six stories tall, the 232-unit project fits seamlessly into historic Alexandria’s intentionally shallow skyline.

We were challenged to create a contemporary building that conformed to and complemented the city’s historic texture. The framework for the architecture is a contemporary interpretation of the neighborhood’s historic masonry mercantile buildings.  The interpretation retains the rich materiality and strong human scale of the neighborhood while looking ahead to the future with modern amenities and details. The project is sculpted to break down the full block development into multiple “building masses” and exterior spaces that address the varied context and is further defined by a rich retail base at the street level. The parking is fully below grade and the service and loading for the project has also been completely internalized, resulting in minimal disruption to the neighborhood and pedestrian activity.

Gables OTN is designed as a podium-style building with two full levels of underground parking, retail and townhouse style walk-up units at the street level, and a combination of four and five upper levels of wood frame construction. The amenities continue above for the residents including three distinct podium level courtyards and rooftop deck with views of the Potomac River.

Gables Old Town North is LEED Registered.

Details
232 Units
50,942 sf of Retail Space
481 Parking Spaces
LEED Homes Mid-Rise-Silver