Project Profile: Amazon HQ2 Metropolitan Park

Engineering firm: GHT Limited
2024 MEP Giants rank: 97
Project: Amazon HQ2 Metropolitan Park
Location: Arlington, VA, United States
Building type: Office building
Project type: New construction
Engineering services: Electrical, power; energy, sustainability; HVAC, mechanical; plumbing, piping
Project timeline: October 2019 to October 2023
MEP/FP engineering budget: $1,194,900

Challenges

GHT provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design and energy modeling services for Amazon HQ2 Metropolitan Park, the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 development in National Landing. The campus includes two new buildings, comprised of more than 2.1 million sq ft of sustainable office space, atop a 4-story underground parking garage. The award-winning development is the world’s largest LEED v4 BD+C Platinum project and is powered by 100% off-site renewable energy and equipped with on-site strategies to minimize energy and water use.

Designed under the rigorous LEED v4 standard, the project intends to serve as a model for future sustainable developments in the region. To navigate sustainability goals and align with Amazon’s Climate Pledge to meet net zero carbon by 2040 and 100% renewable energy use by 2030, GHT collaborated with ZGF Architects and the entire project team to incorporate sustainability strategies and solutions throughout the campus that went above and beyond industry standards.

Solutions

To meet the project’s rigorous sustainability goals and achieve the LEED v4 BD+C Platinum certification, the team implemented a variety of solutions, including highly efficient systems, water use reduction strategies, and connection of the indoor and outdoor spaces. As a result of the sustainability strategies incorporated, the project will support Amazon’s Climate Pledge with systems designed to achieve 20% energy savings below the ASHRAE baseline, 50% water savings below building code, and 75% carbon emissions reduction in operations.

A crucial part of the campus’ highly efficient systems is the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, which utilizes a dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) with sensible cooling terminal units. In addition, the HVAC system is equipped with 100% outdoor air-chilled water energy recovery units, premium efficiency chillers, a cooling tower with a water-side economizer, and a heat recovery variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system.

There were a variety of water reduction strategies implemented throughout the campus to support the project’s sustainability goals. The development utilizes low flow plumbing fixtures throughout the building, as well as a dewatering heat exchanger that provides partial heat to the mission critical condenser water loop and reduces cooling tower load, saving approximately 720,000 gal of water a year. Water reuse strategies enable captured rainwater to be reused for cooling tower makeup, and greywater to be reused for the low flow fixtures and irrigation demand. The impact of water reduction strategies on the project resulted in 50% indoor use reduction and over 40% cooling tower reduction from building code requirements.

To support human performance and wellbeing, the development continuously connects the indoor and outdoor spaces through operable windows and Eco Lobbies. When conditions permit, operable windows throughout the space allow occupants to access fresh air, the first of its kind in the DC region, where our climate conditions have not previously permitted such strategies to be implemented. The energy-efficient Eco Lobbies also create a thermal transition zone between the exterior and interior, utilizing hydronic radiant floor heating and overhead high volume, low speed fans to create a comfortable environment for occupants.

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