Navy Yard Urby, is one of nine Urby locations across the United States, that Concrete Amsterdam has designed since inception in 2010. Combining bold architecture with a vibrant community life, this thoughtful design results in a dynamic new destination where reimagined urban living meets a sense of well-being and retreat. The thirteenstory residential building surrounds a green courtyard, with lively retail and cafés at street level and stunning city and river views from the higher floors. Located in Washington, DC’s Navy Yard district next to Nationals Baseball Park and close to the Anacostia River, the project combines high-density urban housing with a strong sense of community and modern, high-quality living within a rapidly developing context.
Urby redefines multifamily living by creating a residential environment that balances urban energy with social connection, abundant daylight and greenery on a human scale. At Navy Yard Urby, this vision comes to life through the building’s design as a full city block connected to all surrounding streets. The orientation and massing open up towards the south and west, a deliberate effort to maximize daylight and air into the central courtyard and lower-level apartments. This configuration also establishes a visual connection to the riverfront, Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, and the ballpark.
Design activates the streets
From the outside in, the building is designed to respond directly to its context. Rather than appearing as a single mass, each street-facing façade is uniquely articulated, offering a variety of experiences that change depending on the approach. The design of Navy Yard Urby begins at the ground level, where a series of smaller forms along the four streets creates a human scale and accommodates a range of functions, including retail, an intimate residential lobby, the Urby café, and a co-working salon designed by Shawn Hausmann Design.
A connecting green courtyard
Select retail spaces further activate the site by providing access and a connection to the central courtyard, which serves both as an anchor and a passage: a space that invites the city in rather than keeping it out. Accessible from two main entrances; one located at N Street SE and the other on 1st Street SE, it creates an informal route from the stadium to the subway. With regenerative landscaping, a biophilic pond, plenty of shaded seating and green planted walls, it feels as a Mediterranean piazza that offers a quiet counterbalance to the high energy of the neighborhood.
Above the ground floor, a four-story sculptural brick city block touches the ground on a few key locations and in response to the pedestrian scale established by the streetscape design. On the courtyard side, the apartments have a good visual connection to the garden below through large windows and Juliette balconies.
Opening up the volume
As the building rises, it’s volume steps back toward the southwest, carving out terraces and drawing in natural light. On the sixth floor, the form opens to create an expansive communal outdoor space for residents. It features a landscaped garden, designed by Bureau Bas Smets, with barbecues and an outdoor pool deck, both with views of the stadium and the river and excellent sun exposure.
A freestanding gym pavilion in a contrasting material and color adds visual interest and the illuminated rooftop of it highlights the vibrant life within the building. The sixth floor also includes an indoor garden room and a speakeasy that can be used as an event space. This layered design makes space for shared, social experiences throughout the building.
A freestanding gym pavilion in a contrasting material and color adds visual interest and the illuminated rooftop of it highlights the vibrant life within the building. The sixth floor also includes an indoor garden room and a speakeasy that can be used as an event space. This layered design makes space for shared, social experiences throughout the building.
The upper part of the building consists of a continuation of the brick base at the north/east corner, anchoring the structure visually within its urban context. Flanking this brick volume are two lighter toned metal-clad wings, each featuring private balconies facing west and south. By carrying the brick upward at the north/east corner, the design emphasizes the weight and presence of the building on the more urban side of the site. The metal wings are deliberately set back from the brick base, creating a sense of relief and allowing the façade to breathe.
Along Yard’s Place, the massing steps down two stories in response to the narrower street, giving the building a thoughtful, human-scaled transition. At the top, a collection of penthouse apartments opens onto expansive outdoor terraces, offering sweeping views across the city and making the most of the building’s elevated position.
Shaped by contrast
Visually, the building is shaped by contrast. At street level, a sculptural brick base gives it a strong, grounded presence, echoing the industrial character of the Navy Yard. Above, the architecture lightens with clean lines and modern detailing, giving the upper levels a more open, contemporary feel. Together, these layers create a full city block that feels both substantial and welcoming, rooted in its neighborhood and designed for the future of urban living.
Client: Urby
Architects: Concrete Amsterdam
Project team concrete: Erikjan Vermeulen, Nick Vullings, Juliana Cintra do Prado Mul, Angela Solis Jara, Sebastiaan Kaal, Beata Karlsson, Lisa Marie Etzien, Charlotte Middelveld, Andreas Rechsteiner, Vivianne Medeiros, Cindy Wouters, Mark Haenen, Zsofia Muzsnai, Tobias Koch
