Photo: Black and White Warbler, Laura Erickson
By Jessica Bigger
A little over two years ago, Aventon Holdings I, LLC approached neighboring communities in the Mount Vernon District in Virginia to get residents’ input on what kind of development they envisioned at Aventon’s proposed building site. The developer is planning to erect a seven to eight story apartment building at the south end of Huntington Metro Station. “The developer came in with the approach of asking “How can we make this community better,” noted Cathy Ledec, a longtime conservation activist and a director on the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia Board.
Ledec, who lives in the Mount Vernon District, worked with Aventon to provide guidance on encompassing bird-friendly design elements into the apartment building’s exterior. Each nearby neighborhood set up committees and met with Aventon representatives and its consulting firms multiple times over the past two years to contribute their thoughts and ideas for the project prior to Aventon submitting a proposed building design plan.
With help from the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, neighbors and other advocacy groups, Aventon incorporated environmental and bird-friendly design elements into the building plan from the beginning. “In some cases, developers will try to add these elements after a building is designed, but if you incorporate it into the building design from the get go, it’s much easier rather than adding these elements as an afterthought,” said Ledec.
The Aventon is the second project in Fairfax County with a proffer that includes bird-friendly design elements as a key component of the building plan. A proffer is an agreement between the county and the developer in which the developer agrees to minimize the impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods and the county by providing funds for amenities such as road improvements, schools, parks and more. The first Fairfax County project known to include bird-friendly design in the proffer is One Tysons East, which will be built across from the McLean Metro Station.
Bird-friendly windows, NAS
The Avenon property abuts Mount Eagle Park, which includes a heavily treed conservation area. The apartment building will sit at the top of a hill that is a migratory bird hotspot. So it was a priority for the developer to create apartments that would fit well with the surrounding environment, rather than be an obstacle. Anyone living on the east side of the apartment building will have a gorgeous view of the park, and on a clear day, residents who live on the top floor will likely get a view of the Potomac River and beyond.
Along with where the building will sit on the property, Aventon included several bird-friendly elements to the apartment building’s exterior, including reduced use of reflective glass surfaces, shading and recessed balconies. The developer has also committed to using native plants for landscaping. This will become an extension of habitat for forest-based birds, providing them food and cover.