Residences at Government Center 2 delivers a stunning set of luxurious, affordable housing apartments to an area of Fairfax that is currently dominated by county office buildings and the parking stalls that serve them. The site — originally one of these underutilized parking lots — significantly changes grade from one end to the other one end to the other and recently underwent a change in zoning which allowed for this new use. KTGY’s architects discretely tucked Residences at Government Center 2’s parking into the lower end of the site to hide the parking garage from the main pedestrian view. Residents are greeted by a seemly neutral, contemporary façade accented by natural wood, dark brick and steel accents. As night falls, vibrant pink and warm yellow lighting along with a bright mural at the center of the development bring the community to life. To minimize unnecessary impact to the surrounding environment, the architects designed around and preserved nearly all existing trees on the north, west and south sides of the site, furthering the pedestrian experience. Nearly 15,000 square feet of retail, including a daycare, serve this community that supports severe low-income families based on Virginia Housing affordability standards.
