1770 Crystal Drive

Owner: JBG Smith | Services: Project/Construction Management

Amazon selected Crystal City as one of the three neighborhoods in the National Landing section of Northern Virginia for its second North American headquarters and provided JBG Smith the opportunity to lead this award-winning redevelopment. Designed by Gensler and constructed by Clark Construction, the massive renovation project was completed in 2020, two quarters ahead of schedule and under budget.

The 280,000-square-foot modern building features a façade composed of floor-to-ceiling glass curtain wall and metal panels. A double-height pedestrian colonnade transformed retail spaces and storefronts at ground level. Other improvements included connections to an existing below-grade mall, a new two-story lobby, mechanical systems, modernized elevators, refreshed retail spaces, new ground-floor amenity spaces, and site updates. The project team took careful consideration during design to reflect Amazon’s sustainability goals, and the project achieved LEED Core and Shell Silver Certification.

The project faced significant challenges, including schedule risks from a permanent power redesign initiated by Dominion Energy. In addition to typical tenant-requested design changes and issues driven by construction in an occupied public corridor with a Metro tunnel, project construction was also completed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Axias project management team was able to turn over the project 30 days ahead of schedule, despite these challenges. Although numerous changes were necessary, through careful review of change orders and proactive budget management the project was also delivered under budget.

In 2021, the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA) honored Axias and JBG Smith with an award for the project in the Commercial/Sports/Entertainment/Hospitality category for projects exceeding $50 million. This was the second award for the project, which also received the CMAA’s National Capital Chapter, “Project of the Year” in the same category.

Rendering courtesy of JBG Smith