Carlyle Crossing

Carlyle Crossing is organized around a multi-dimensional public realm that blurs the lines between public and private space. The design considers the pedestrian experience at all scales, beginning with the ground-level plaza and continuing to the podium-level terraces. At the ground level, a central plaza and surrounding streetscapes are activated by trendy retail, dining, and entertainment uses. Since the plaza is publicly accessible but privately-owned, we engaged the City of Alexandria in a complex dialogue to determine the best ways to position the plaza as a shared community space. The hardscaped plaza is designed to accommodate community programs and events, like markets, festivals, and food trucks, and a layer of art encourages the public to make the space their own.

At the podium level, a three-acre park spans the multi-family towers and connects residents to nature. Intentional berm placement and vegetation create an immersive, nature-forward environment in a heavily urbanized area of the City. We conducted circulation studies to identify key access points between the east and west terrace to ensure optimal resident access from the three buildings. A series of pedestrian paths, cohesive plant palette, and flexible furnishing create a seamless experience for residents as they traverse each terrace.

Every project comes with unique challenges but designing a three-acre park on-structure is a feat of its own and requires extensive collaboration between the design team. We worked closely with the project architect, structural engineer, civil engineer, and MEP engineer to ensure the park’s design was feasible and constructable. To be a stronger collaborator to the architect, we incorporated Revit into our workflow so we could adjust the design to the changing massing model. We coordinated with the civil, structural, and MEP engineer to guarantee that the site elements and drainage systems would integrate with the buildings systems.