An innovative solution to the suburban office type, the Gannett/USA Today Corporate Headquarters building merges the related companies into a distinctive signature complex. KPF’s design rejects the typical suburban object building in favor of a site-integrated, space-making form. The result is a modern-day hill town, complete with a common “town square.”
The 30-acre site is located near Washington DC, and is developed as an amenity for its workers, with planted terraces and jogging and walking trails creating dynamic spaces for work and recreation. The form of the campus features two connecting wings that reach out in a welcoming gesture. Typical office spaces are located in the towers, and are flexible to allow for departmental change and reorganization. Common spaces are distributed along the entry level of the complex, with flexible, deep newsroom and production spaces in high-ceiling areas in podium levels 2 and 3. Employee amenities, including a cafeteria and fitness center, engage the landscaped setting.
The material properties of glass define the complex not only as a gentle reflection of the surrounding landscape, but also as an open, active community. The material palette further explores a wide range of textures, from rusticated fieldstone to polished stone and metal to warm wood and aluminium leaf.
Status: Built
Location: McLean, VA, US
Firm Role: Architect
Additional Credits: Client: Hines, Gannett
Interior Designer: Lehman Smith McLeish
