SITE OF THE MONTH (Jan. 2010)
Meridian Pentagon City
Arlington, VA
SITUATION:
In mid-2008, Paradigm Companies purchased The Warwick House in Arlington, Virginia. The property consisted of two high-rise residential buildings encompassing 533 apartment units. Originally developed by LCOR, each high rise contained a range of amenities including two fitness centers. Unfortunately for Paradigm, both facilities were substandard with a mixture of obsolete strength and cardio equipment. Shortly after The Warwick was purchased, Paradigm renamed the property The Meridian at Pentagon City, and began implementing a renovation plan for the property. Keeping with Paradigm’s Meridian luxury apartment brand, the first amenity to be upgraded was the fitness center(s).
SOLUTION:
Based on Paradigm’s evaluation, the company decided to shutdown the property’s smaller individual fitness centers, in favor of one spectacular health club. A large space was found on the first floor of the main building adjacent to Paradigm’s management offices--a space that boasted windows on three sides of the room, with views of South Eads Street and Crystal City. Hartmann Design Group was retained to create the Meridian brand environment, while Heartline focused on equipment layout and brand decisions. Given Matrix’s new age look, styling, color, and technology, the Matrix brand was the only choice for this setting. The new Matrix 7 Series cardiovascular systems with “embedded” 15” screens with FitTouch ™ and round structural tubing provided the “wow” factor to complement the room’s elegant appointments. “I believe this is the most beautiful room we have designed to date,” says Bob Burgess, Heartline’s president and CEO. Thanks Paradigm!
