Arlington campus

‘Breaking ground on Virginia’s future’ at Mason Square

Colleen Rich — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 21:56:51 +0000

‘Breaking ground on Virginia’s future’ at Mason Square Colleen Rich Wed, 04/06/2022 - 17:56

The new 345,000-square-foot facility will serve as a technological hub in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor connecting students, faculty, industry and government. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

George Mason University officially welcomed a new era in Arlington with Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for Fuse at Mason Square, which will serve as a technological hub in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor connecting students, faculty, industry and government.

Mason President Gregory Washington joined a slew of elected, industry and university officials in celebrating the start of construction of the new 345,000-square-foot facility that will embody Mason’s commitment to Northern Virginia’s next-generation workforce.

“We are not just breaking ground on a building—we are truly breaking ground on Virginia’s future,” said Mason President Gregory Washington. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

The building is slated to open in 2025.

“We are not just breaking ground on a building—we are truly breaking ground on Virginia’s future,” Washington said.

The first-of-its-kind building will bring together the public and private sectors in a collaborative alliance to address the world’s grand challenges.

“We’re all looking forward very much to see the institutional growth here, the people who will gather and collide here, and the innovations that will emanate from here,” said Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president for global innovation policy and communications, and a Mason law school alum. “If this were a book, I’d love to turn the pages ahead a few chapters and see where all this is going, but I’m confident that you are all on the right trajectory.”

Other speakers in the roughly 90-minute program included state Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera; Mason Rector Jimmy Hazel; Mason Board of Visitors member and President’s Innovation Advisory Council member Dolly Oberoi; Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol; Mason students Maya Chatterjee and Jared Ponmakha; Clark Construction Group Senior Vice President Dave Tacchetti; Mason Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Carol Kissal; and Jamie Martin of Mason Innovation Partners. Trishana Bowden, Mason’s vice president of advancement and alumni relations, served as the program’s host.

Mason students Maya Chatterjee and Jared Ponmakha spoke as part of the groundbreaking. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Fuse at Mason Square will serve as the home to faculty and students working with the Institute for Digital Innovation (IDIA) and its partners, as well as graduate programs within Mason’s new School of Computing.

The collaborative effort is designed to promote digital innovation, active learning and cutting-edge research in the presence of business entrepreneurs, tech incubators, and education and policy makers.

Developed in partnership with Mason Innovation Partners, led by Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate, Fuse at Mason Square will be a LEED Platinum, smart, net-zero-ready building with Fitwell 2-star and RELi resiliency. It will feature a green roof for energy-efficient heating and cooling, an agile floor design to enable responsive team or project growth, and specialized labs for robotics, virtual reality, simulation, security and data visualization.

Other amenities will include community seating in a double-height atrium, a 750-seat theater-style multipurpose room, retail, a public plaza and a below-grade parking garage, making it a natural gathering place for the campus and nearby community.

This Arlington expansion supports the state of Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP), a 20-year program designed to produce more than 25,000 additional graduates in computer science, computer engineering and software engineering.

“Fuse at Mason Square will rise into the Arlington skyline,” Washington said, “and one day, it will actually greet the 22nd century.”

Topics

Campus News

Masonat50

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)

Arlington campus

Campus Improvements (Construction)

Construction

Mason Square

Fuse at Mason Square

Construction kick-off on Arlington Campus the ‘start of something big’

Colleen Rich — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 19:12:52 +0000

Construction kick-off on Arlington Campus the ‘start of something big’ Colleen Rich Mon, 01/03/2022 - 14:12

Concept rendering by Mason Innovation Partners / EYP

The first steps of the construction project that will reshape and reimagine George Mason’s Arlington Campus are scheduled to begin this week, weather permitting.

“This is the start of something big for Mason,” Carol Kissal, Mason’s senior vice president for administration and finance. “And when it’s done, it will have fundamentally changed our campus, as well as the broader Arlington community.”

The action won’t be dramatic at first, said Cathy Pinskey, program director at Mason Facilities, but will ramp up over time, given that the scope of the $235 million renovation includes construction of an approximately 400,000-square-foot building on the site of the old Kann’s department store that will support Mason’s School of Computing and other innovative ecosystems.

Construction fencing will be reconfigured, primarily by the driveway of the FDIC building. There will also be some excavation for sheeting and shoring, and preparation of the site for the new building with relocation of an existing underground storm pipe.

A water line and electric line will be relocated, and drilling for “soldier beams” to support the sheeting and shoring will begin, perhaps later in the month, Pinskey said.

“There may be some noise. You may feel some vibrations,” Pinskey said. “But it’s all safe and done in compliance with rules and requirements. The reality is, the end result will be worth it.”

Topics

George Mason University Arlington Campus Expansion Virtual Subcontractor Outreach Event

Lauren Reuscher — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 15:51:56 +0000

George Mason University Arlington Campus Expansion Virtual Subcontractor Outreach Event Lauren Reuscher Mon, 12/06/2021 - 10:51

Join us for a virtual outreach event to learn more about professional services and construction subcontracting opportunities on the Arlington Campus Expansion project.

December 16, 2021 from 2–3 p.m.
Virtual Meeting Link (Bluejeans)

We encourage SWaM-certified businesses or businesses that are interested in becoming SWaM certified to attend.

Register for the event.

Edgemoor and Clark will be bidding the following trades and services:

Air Barriers
Bituminous Paving
Blinds and Shades
Building Operations and Maintenance
Carpet
Caulking and Sealants
Concrete
Construction Cleaning
Construction Hoist
Decorative Metal Railings
Doors, Frames and Hardware
Drywall
Electrical
Electrical Ductbanks
Elevators
Entrance Mats
Fences and Gates
Final Cleaning
Fire Extinguishers
Fire Protection
Fireproofing
Glass and Glazing
Lawns and Plantings
Loading Dock Equipment
Lockers
Louvers
Masonry
Mechanical/Plumbing
Metal Panels
Millwork
Miscellaneous Metals
Ornamental Metals
Overhead Doors
Painting
Precast Architectural Concrete
Resilient Flooring
Roofing
Rough Carpentry
Signage
Site Concrete
Site Utilities
Skylights
Striping
Terrazzo Flooring
Tile
Toilet Accessories
Toilet Compartments
Unit Pavers
Waterproofing

Topics

Campus Improvements (Construction)

Construction

Arlington campus

Arlington Expansion Project

Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)