Washington Gas
Project Stats
- Location
Fairfax County, Virginia
- Size
190,000 SF Office; 75,000 SF Technology Center
- Certifications
LEED Gold Certified
- Awards
NAIOP Award of Excellence,
AIA DC Presidential Citation,
IDA Silver Award
- Market
- Expertise
Merging three offices into one campus
As a company that has long stood at the forefront of the energy industry, Washington Gas sought a headquarters that would not only house its operations, but embody its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the future of work. Consolidating three regional offices and 800 employees into a single, modern, energy-efficient campus situated on a 20-acre brownfield site in Fairfax County, Virginia, the initiative represented a major operational transformation.
The move signified the company’s transition from a predominantly private-office environment to an integrated, collaborative workplace designed to support both individual productivity and cross-divisional engagement. The scope of work encompassed the design of a 190,000-square-foot office building, a 75,000-square-foot technology center, and a comprehensive master plan intended to reimagine both structures into one coherent campus.
A primary objective of the consolidation was to foster communication and teamwork across departments that had previously operated in separate locations, while simultaneously creating a physical environment reflective of Washington Gas’s identity as an energy-focused organization.
An open, light-filled workplace built for flexibility
The design prioritizes openness, natural light, and adaptability at every scale. Floor-to-ceiling windows along the south façade flood column-free work areas with natural light while framing unobstructed views of the exterior green space. Automated shading screens integrated into the south curtain wall respond dynamically to real-time daylight conditions, maintaining visual comfort without sacrificing a connection to the outdoors.
Central to the design strategy was the creation of a main street-style circular path, a principle interior corridor along which shared shared support functions were positioned to maximize employee interaction and create natural opportunities for cross-team communication.
Neighborhood-style spaces and a range of meeting configurations accommodate diverse work styles and support transitions between collaborative and focused tasks. Warm earth tones throughout the interiors complement the natural color palette and reinforce a grounded, organic atmosphere. Approximately sixty percent of existing architectural elements were recycled and reintegrated into the new design, reducing on-site material waste.
Pioneering sustainability technologies with measurable results
Sustainability was established as a non-negotiable requirement from the earliest phases of design, resulting in a campus that introduced several technologies to the region. Most significantly, the project features the first commercial application of a Bloom Energy fuel cell on the East Coast. Installed on the south lawn and visible from the building interior, the fuel cell generates on-site electricity and has reduced Washington Gas’s carbon footprint by ninety-three percent.
The LEED Gold Certified campus also introduced the region’s first Dedicated Outdoor Air System, an advanced HVAC solution that improves indoor air quality through more efficient ventilation. The system’s compact infrastructure also allows for increased ceiling heights, affording teams a more spacious, comfortable work environment. Together, these two systems position the campus as a leading example of what is achievable when environmental performance is treated as a core design objective rather than an afterthought.
The Washington Gas campus brings employees together in a workplace built around collaboration and measurable sustainable performance. Recognized with numerous prestigious awards, the project stands as a regional benchmark for energy-efficient corporate design.
This project was completed by FOX Architects before its acquisition by Corgan in April 2026.
