It took more than 10 years to dream up and two years to build, and the 370,000-square-foot Potomac Yard headquarters for The Institute for Defense Analyses officially opened this month for more than 1,000 employees in Alexandria’s Potomac Yard neighborhood.
The new office was designed in 2012 by D.C.-based KGD Architecture, and is located a stone’s throw from the incoming Potomac Yard Metro station, which is expected to open this spring.
“The new IDA headquarters will allow more than 1,000 employees to use mass transit and be within easy reach of the Pentagon, IDA’s primary client,” the nonprofit said in a press release.
The property includes a two-story lobby, a courtyard with views of the D.C. skyline and a “robust” art collection for the public on street-facing spaces. There is also an auditorium that seats 300 people, as well as breakout rooms, a green room, large conference rooms and a multimedia recording studio.
IDA said that the property also takes the health of staff into account.
“For IDA – a non-profit dedicated to answering the most challenging U.S. security and science policy questions – safeguarding the health of staff and staying up and operational under hazardous conditions was critical,” IDA said in the release. “The design team deployed an array of resilience-building strategies, including interventions aimed at combatting the spread of infectious diseases. The implemented measures include enhanced filtration, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), humidification, and ceiling fan design for increased circulation, as well as 3D modeling of epidemiological scenarios and space usage patterns.”
Recent Stories
A look at the most and least expensive single-family homes sold in Alexandria last month, April 2024.
The Traffic and Parking Board endorsed one intersection change that could make Lynhaven/Del Ray a little safer but did not approve the proposed reversal of a one-way street. The proposed…
No charges were filed against a man arrested for a suspected misdemeanor assault and battery on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray on Sunday. A passerby called 911 at around…
Here’s a roundup of all the events, live music, and entertainment happening around Alexandria this weekend; enjoy! Are you organizing an event? Submit events to ALXnow. Friday, May 3 Things…
Good news, D.C. area. You can save money on your next home cleaning with Well-Paid Maids. It’s easy!
We offer a discount when you set up recurring cleans — and the discounts just increased this week!
For weekly cleans, get $30 off each cleaning.
Potomac Harmony is Back! Following a gap year of competing, then virtual rehearsals during the pandemic, followed by the well-earned retirement of our long-term director, a year of a director search, Potomac Harmony hit the regional contest stage in Concord, North Carolina in March for the first time since 2018! It was exhilarating, reaffirming, and rewarding!
The chorus hit all of its goals, the biggest of which was to have fun and sing our best on contest stage — we did both! Because we earned a score over 400 points, our new Director, Allison Lynskey, was awarded the Novice Director award, photo above. Additionally, one of our charter members, Jackie Bottash, was nominated for and honored with the Leadership Excellence award. It was a celebratory weekend!
What’s next? So much! We now look forward to upcoming performances, growing our membership, and expanding our musical product with new arrangements and an education component each week. It’s an exciting time to be part of this ever-growing ensemble!
Alexandria NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, DPC to hold City Council…
The Alexandria Branch of the NAACP, Shiloh Baptist Church, and The Departmental Progressive Club to hold the City Council Candidate Forum for ALL Candidates in the City of Alexandria Virginia. The event is Free of Charge and Open to The