Project Description

Planning & Design: In 2015, the client decided to maintain their corporate office in Richmond by building a prominent facility to further support and revitalize downtown. The team benchmarked facilities nationwide with the goal of designing a next-generation workplace that was innovative, collaborative, and sustainable that would allow the client to retain, attract and recruit the best talent.

Site: In replacing their outdated Richmond Plaza building, the cleared site facilitated project aspirations, including: aligning with the project’s Guiding Principles; providing the most consolidation and efficiency; minimizing business interruption; engaging the community; and, transforming this underutilized site to serve as a catalyst for future development.

Urban Context: As a prominent member of the community, the client felt it critical that the impact of 600 Canal and their commitment to Richmond be paramount. Strengthening the connection to the community while accommodating growth, the project engages the city at multiple scales — for pedestrians at street level; the broader riverfront neighborhood; and occupying a unique place on the skyline.

Program: 
• 20-story, 417-foot corporate office tower 
• Gross Area: 957,000 gsf 
• Office & Amenity Area: 627,000 gsf 
• 17 workplace floors including Data Center 
• Retail Area:4,800 gsf 
• Credit Union Area: 2,288 gsf 
• Parking: 330,000 gsf includes 74 compact cars spaces, 28 EV chargers, and 80 bike racks.

Amenities: 
• On-site employee dining 
• One-acre roof garden 
• Fitness, Meeting, and Recruitment Centers 
• Executive Suite and Boardroom 
• Tech Support Bar 
• Credit Union 
• Street-level retail.

600 Canal offers dramatic views of the James River and downtown and establishes a new identity for the client and Richmond. Acknowledging the city’s historical connection to the river, its curved enclosure is inspired by the shape of the sails of the ships that historically traveled the river and the city’s canals. Stainless steel diagonal rods articulate the sweeping façades to emphasize this metaphor. Culminating in a crisp tower top, its billowing sail reflects the river, city, and sky.

The design: welcomes the public with a large, inviting lobby; integrates programmable LED lighting to customize the façade; features collaborations with local artists, including Kendall Buster’s monumental atrium sculpture, and Tim Prentice’s kinetic sculpture in the lobby; serves as a benchmark for sustainability; and, provides high-performance workplace to 1,200 employees and contractors.

Sustainability: Certified LEED-NC Gold, 600 Canal provides for the comfort, health, and well-being of employees. High-performance low-E glazing, and energy-efficient systems, including under-floor air and occupancy sensors, reduce energy use while improving indoor air quality and individual thermal comfort control.

The enclosure ushers natural light into each floor. A one-acre landscaped garden atop the podium provides accessible outdoor space adjacent to dining. It reduces the heat island effect, absorbs thousands of gallons of rainwater annually, and uses native plants to reduce water usage and support wildlife.

Features: 
• Recycled most of the demolition materials 
• MEP systems include dual path HVAC, magnetic bearing chillers, and two levels of redundancy 
• Integrated Building Management and Control System 
• Sustainably-sourced interior finishes 
• Energy recovery on tower ventilation system 
• Energy-efficient LED lighting 
• Centralized waste, recycling, and composting.