A new academic and research facility at George Mason University designed by Stantec is complete in Arlington, Virginia’s Rosslyn–Ballston corridor.
The building, dubbed Fuse at Mason Square, was backed by Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate and is located prominently on Arlington’s Fairfax Drive.
Fuse at Mason Square measures 345,000 square feet. It hosts GMU programs in computing, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and cybersecurity, as well as space for industry partners.
The complex serves as the flagship for GMU’s Tech Talent Investment Program, an initiative aimed at graduating 15,000 computer science and engineering graduates over the next two decades.
Students and faculty enter the building from a large public plaza, Mason Square. The plaza is lined with native plants, new tree plantings, and pollinator gardens. Pavers were swapped out with vegetation to reduce heat island effect.
From Mason Square, users traverse a sun-lit atrium, where the circulation cores are clearly delineated, making for ease of access.
In section, the building is organized as “a series of vertically stacked neighborhoods, each structured around a central collaboration spine on each floor,” the architects said.
Every floor has flexible, loft-style lab space and is structured around a “central collaboration spine.” Circulation zones were designed for optimized movement and visibility, and to promote informal interaction. Classrooms, offices, and research environments are interspersed within structural bays uninterrupted by columns.
Users enjoy shared amenities, ample daylight access thanks to the facade composition, and outdoor terraces for informal use and extended occupancy. Layouts can be easily adapted.
The facade consists of diagonally oriented photovoltaic fins; the assembly of approximately 500 panels generates an estimated 50,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The fins were designed through iterative modeling to improve solar exposure and reduce self-shading.
The architecture is reflective of how the academic research field has pivoted toward multidisciplinary collaboration, away from a more siloed relationship between disciplines.
Stantec and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate are now anticipating LEED Platinum certification.