The Perch at Capital One Center
Tysons, VA, USA
108,900 sf. Greenroof
(Video)

Greenroofs.com Featured Project February 14, 2023

The Perch, September 2022. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

In honor of St. Valentine’s Day, what better way to celebrate than feature a fantastic greenroof project from Virginia, whose motto is, of course, “Virginia is for Lovers”?

Enter The Perch at Capital One Center, a fabulous example of creating a public-private greenspace high up over the city. By the way, the LOVE photo below was taken on top of The Perch, so The Perch is for Lovers too.

LOVE on top at The Perch. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

Here’s an urban oasis designed for human and canine interaction alongside a variety of evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees, grasses, and flowering perennials to distinguish the seasons.

Thanks and kudos to Capital One for their corporate ecological design commitment and for providing info, photos and video and also to Columbia Green Technologies for establishing a beautiful vegetated roof constructed of sustainable materials and enhancing the built environment!

Credit: Capital One Center. Courtesy of Columbia Green Technologies.

Excerpt from the Greenroofs.com Project Profile:

Capital One Center is a 25-acre mixed-use development in the heart of Tysons, VA and is committed to sustainability. Anchored by the headquarters of Capital One and home to over 10,000 associates in the region, Capital One Center is quickly transforming the skyline and the cultural landscape of Fairfax County.

This 3 million square foot development is a vibrant arts and entertainment destination which includes a large skypark, The Perch -complete with Starr Hill Biergarten, food trucks, and an 18-hole miniature golf course– plus a 300 all-suite hotel, The Watermark Hotel, numerous retail and dining options, and a corporate events and performing arts center, Capital One Hall. Designed by HGA Architects, Capital One Hall received LEED® Gold certification in April 2022.

Capital One Block A Aerial, July 2022. Image: Capital One

The Perch at Capital One Center, September 2022. Image: Capital One Facebook

In addition to the greenroof, the site’s water-efficient landscaping includes 16 street-side bioretentions for treating and retaining stormwater. The building’s HVAC and energy recovery systems should reduce its energy consumption by 27% compared to a comparable code-compliant building.

The Perch is a 2.5 acre skypark soaring 11 stories in the air, serving as the roof of Capital One Hall and connected to the LEED Silver Watermark Hotel. The 11th floor lobby, connected to The Perch, offers sweeping views and has a lively environment with restaurant and bar. The Perch events are programmed all year long and Capital One worked closely with the Fairfax County Park Authority to allocate half of its park to be open to the public.

The Perch at Capital One Center. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

The Perch is a beautiful and sustainable greenroof, providing a lovely park setting where people can congregate but also acts as an integral part of Capital One Hall’s acoustics. The serrated design of the atrium ceiling, which echoes the building façade, provides deep areas suited to tree plantings which also enhance the acoustics. Perch Putt is joined by three restaurant and bar concepts housed in retro-themed vehicles and features stunning aerial views of Tysons as its impressive backdrop. The Sculpture Park at Capital One Center offers continuously regenerating sculptures evoking themes of environmental fragility and the interdependence of nature and culture.

Columbia Green Technologies provided both their innovative Extensive and Intensive Vegetated Roofing assemblies, and The Perch also used their custom lightweight growing media that reached depths upward of 4 feet in some areas. An array of native grasses, shrubs, and trees was planted, creating a more biodiverse environment for the flourishing parklike habitat. A lightweight recycled glass foam with 99% recycled content allowed the design team to meet fire requirements.

Guests at an outdoor concert at The Perch. Image: Capital One Center.

The Perch at Capital One Center. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

More

Two other key factors regarding this immense and incredible greenroof project are 1: The project’s installation started at the beginning of the pandemic but was completed on time due to the efforts of the entire team; and 2: Columbia Green Technologies not only provided their standard warranty for the project, but to protect the owner they also provided their overburden warranty covering the cost of removing and replacing the greenroof system, pavers, and pedestals in the event of a roof issue.

Capital One Center is thoughtfully designed to create a walkable campus, positioning itself as a live-work-play and a desirable tourist destination. The Perch is a child- and dog-friendly space with picnic tables where guests are encouraged to linger by heated fire pits or play bocce ball and giant chess. And, as Washington D.C.’s new elevated hotspot, The Perch’s serene village green and new urban oasis presents sky high panoramic views above the bustling street.

The Perch, November 2022. Image: Capital One Facebook

Year: 2021
Owner: Capital One
Location: Tysons, VA, USA
Building Program: Multi-Use
Greenroof Type: Extensive and Intensive
System: Single Source Provider
Size: 108,900 sq.ft.
Slope: 1-5%
Access: Accessible, Public and Private

The Perch at Capital One Center. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

Credits:

ARCHITECT:
HGA

GENERAL CONTRACTOR:
WHITING-TURNER CONSTRUCTION

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER:
THORNTON TOMASETTI

CODE AND LIFE SAFETY:
ARUP

ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANTS:
WSP AND GA DESIGN

THEATER, ACOUSTICS, AND AV CONSULTANT:
STAGES CONSULTANTS

GREENROOF SYSTEM:
COLUMBIA GREEN TECHNOLOGIES

LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR:
ASHTON MANOR ENVIRONMENTAL (AME)

The Perch at Capital One Center. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

See the Project Profile

See The Perch at Capital One Center to view ALL of the Photos and Additional Information about this particular project in the Greenroofs.com Projects Database.

The Perch at Capital One Center. Image: Capital One Center Facebook

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Love the Earth, Plant a Roof (or Wall)!

By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEED AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher & Greenroofs & Walls of the World™ Virtual Summits Host