Broad and Washington, In the Works
Falls Church, VA
Broad and Washington represents a dynamic mixed‑use development anchoring the budding Falls Church Arts and Entertainment district at a key intersection within the city. The MV+A design, which includes street retail, office, and multifamily residential components, has been well‑received by city fathers for its inclusion of a retail arcade, control of scale and stepping façades to reduce mass to relate to the adjoining sites.
Creative planning and architecture for the 2.7‑acre site has resulted in a true mixed‑use project unlike any other development in the city, with unfettered street frontage for ground‑floor restaurants and shops along North Washington and East Broad Streets. The largest Class A Office space proposed in Falls Church, the high‑end residential with its grand amenity program, and varied entertainment components will provide the critical mass needed for lively, year‑round activity. The office use provides daytime activity, and the residential and entertainment components do the same at nights and weekends. Dining arcades, judiciously carved courtyards, and vital massing allow this project fit within its challenging and important context.
March 2021
DESIGN BRIEF | March 2021
Broad and Washington – A Transformative Site in Falls Church
View of proposed development from the intersection of Broad Street and Washington Street
MV+A Architects is continuing its long history of working in the City of Falls Church. Completed by the firm in 2007, the notable 300,000-square-foot project Northgate, standing proud along Lee Highway, invites you into the city. Now, we are excited to announce that in late January 2021, the Falls Church City Council unanimously approved our newest project with Insight Property Group – Broad and Washington. This approval allows us to join other recently built mixed-use projects from the past decade along the city’s two major thoroughfares. Together, these projects are helping transform Falls Church into a more walkable, pedestrian friendly, programmatically diverse, socially and culturally significant destination for the city and the larger metropolitan region.
Aerial view of the Unity and Justice Plaza
Our latest venture at the intersection of Broad Street (Route7) and Washington Street (Route 29) is anchored by a public plaza at the intersection. The plaza, conceptualized as the ‘Unity and Justice’ plaza, will commemorate the fight for civil rights and the historic role of Falls Church residents. If the plaza acts as a foreground for the project, it has some hefty supporting acts; one of them being our planned main retail anchor, Whole Foods Market, that will stretch along a significant portion of Broad Street. The project will also be home to a local favorite and acclaimed theater group, Creative Cauldron! Along with State Theater, farmers markets, and other numerous local, social, and cultural institutions, Broad and Washington will make this corner of Falls Church a destination in its own right. Above it all, 339 residential apartments, some with live/work capabilities, will also usher in a new influx of residents. Currently an intersection plagued with car traffic, MV+A’s Broad and Washington project will enable residents and neighbors to seamlessly live, play, and work in one area.
View along East Broad Street
UPDATE – MV+A Promotions
MV+A is proud to announce the promotions of Andy Merlo and Kuan Lo to the position of Associate. Promoted in December 2020, Andy and Kuan started the new year 2021 with expanded leadership roles on their own project teams and within the firm.
Andy Merlo, AIA
Andy Merlo joined MV+A in 2013 as a Project Architect, and now he joins the Associate team bringing knowledge and a particular interest toward mixed-use urban projects, adaptive reuse, and historic preservation. Andy’s notable work on projects such as Westbard, 717 H Street, and Spring House Village exemplify the skillsets he will use to guide MV+A’s growth and expertise.
Kuan Lo, AIA, Leed AP
Kuan Lo rejoined MV+A Architects as an Associate at the end of 2020. With a focus on exceptional architectural design displayed through numerous urban retail and mixed-use projects such as Halley Rise, East Liberty, Tysons West Phase II, and Crossroads at Towson Row, Kuan will continue to lead with effective and innovative design solutions elevating MV+A’s high standards in design and planning.