Pickard Chilton’s Design for Avocet Tower in Bethesda, Md. for Stonebridge Under Construction
Pickard Chilton, an award-winning architecture studio best known for its innovative and sophisticated design of high-performance corporate headquarters and campuses, announced that construction has started on their design for Avocet Tower, a 530,000 gsf, 250-foot mixed-use development for Stonebridge comprising a hotel and office tower at 7373 Wisconsin Avenue in the Central Business District of Bethesda, Maryland.
Atop a generous lobby and amenity podium, Avocet Tower will feature a glass-clad 370,000 gsf of Class-A office tower and a 220-key AC Hotel. The project, with delivery expected in summer 2021, is a P3 (public–private partnership) development between Stonebridge and Montgomery County, Maryland. The transit-oriented development is located directly across from the Bethesda Metro station, and will also accommodate above-and below-grade parking. Virginia-based Cooper Carry is the project’s Architect of Record.
“Avocet Tower is one of downtown Bethesda’s most anticipated developments, and its unique mix of hotel and office space will surely distinguish it from other new urban developments,” said Jon Pickard FAIA, RIBA, principal at Pickard Chilton. “There is significant demand for Class-A office space as more firms relocate from D.C., and Avocet Tower’s timeless, elegant design and quality amenities will be attractive to firms looking to settle in the revitalized Bethesda business district.”
Anticipating LEED-Platinum certification, Avocet Tower’s next-generation sustainability features include advanced mechanical systems, secured bicycle storage, electric vehicle charging stations, bio-retention basins on the roof terrace, and dynamic glazing throughout the entire office area.
Avocet Tower’s unusual side-core design allows for efficient floor plates of 22,000-28,000 square feet. The building’s elegant high-performance façade allows for comfort and great views while state-of-the art View Dynamic Glass controls natural light within the office tower. Glass canopies mark the hotel’s and office building’s front entrances, and a vibrant mix of public and private amenities and open space encourages a continuous flow from Wisconsin Avenue through the 10,000-square-foot landscaped public plaza and shared lobby.
The building is topped by a 7,500-square-foot sky terrace and crowned by an elegant trellis. Additional amenities include a first-class fitness center and a conference center on the 18th floor. The tower will also feature work and gathering spaces, as well as a restaurant to provide social areas for users, area residents, employees, and visitors within the popular urban core. These amenities will significantly enhance and further enliven the central business district.