An iconic life sciences and technology center positioned within an expanding part of Texas, the VXGI headquarters...
Strategic Partnership
Embarked on a joint effort with the City of Atlanta to develop strategic solutions and resolve critical construction challenges, allowing for smooth project progression
Efficiency
Designed the towers and the outdoor courtyard with our project partners in half the anticipated time—despite needing to resolve design conflicts along the way
Creative Design
Partnered with the City of Atlanta, Pickard Chilton, and HKS to design a mixed-use campus—including an outdoor plaza, terraces, and courtyard garden catering to employee wellness
In the past decade, Atlanta has become a hotspot for urban development. Kimley-Horn has been heavily involved with the City of Atlanta in designing more than half of the city’s high-rise projects in the past 11 years—and the relocated Norfolk Southern Headquarters is no exception.
After nearly 200 years in business, Norfolk Southern is one of the Class 1 railway companies in the US and owns more than 19,500 route miles of track. A three-way deal was proposed between Cousins Properties, the City of Atlanta, and Norfolk Southern to move their headquarters from Norfolk, Virginia to the Atlanta Midtown area. The relocation to Atlanta was a consolidation of Norfolk Southern’s two headquarters, merging management, operations, and technology teams under one roof.
Our team completed the following services for the headquarters:
- Entitlement processing
- Site civil engineering
- Urban design
- Transportation planning
- Developments of Regional Impact services
Additionally, Norfolk Southern’s previous Atlanta office on Peachtree Street NE was subsequently acquired by Cousins Properties and converted into a multi-tenant office building with the support of Kimley-Horn. Kimley-Horn’s Atlanta Midtown office is now located in this building—now known as Promenade Central.
Creating an Expansive Urban Campus
Our team successfully collaborated with Norfolk Southern, contractors, and developers to support site civil engineering and other services for two 27-story towers that provide ~750,000 square feet of office space. A third building connects the two towers—including intermodal access for employees and a four-level parking garage with approximately 2,000 parking spaces.
This unique three-acre urban campus was designed to prioritize workplace wellness and work-life balance with amenities like a fitness center and daycare services—as well as an outdoor plaza, terraces along West Peachtree Street NW, and a courtyard garden.
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Developing Efficient, Collaborative Solutions
The project timeline for Norfolk Southern Headquarters was notably successful. Quickly adapting to challenges, our team and partners streamlined design and construction processes to deliver efficient results to our clients.
For instance, we collaborated with Pickard Chilton and HKS Architects during a critical conflict that would have set back operations between the shoring wall and the proposed storm structures. Resolving the issue was made possible by the existing positive relationships formed with reviewers in the City of Atlanta. Within a week, our team found solutions to ensure safety in structural design and continued progressing through the project stages.
By using creative design and permitting strategies, we were able to take the project from initial notice-to-proceed to breaking ground in about 4 to 5 months, which is roughly half a year faster than a typical project of this magnitude.
Implementing Sustainable Practices in an
Urban Environment
Our client’s intention for Norfolk Southern Headquarters was to create an innovative design with sustainable materials and an eco-friendly interior environment. With the help of Integral Consulting Engineers—now known as Introba—we assisted in the design of a rainwater and groundwater collect-and-reuse system that provides water for the building and reduces both the building’s rainfall runoff and the use of potable water.
In collaboration with Pickard Chilton and HKS Architects, our civil team pushed boundaries in delivering services that combined efficiency, cost savings, and environmental safety. These efforts made Norfolk Southern the first LEED Gold certified corporate building in Georgia.
Our relationships with Cousins Properties and the City of Atlanta enabled us to support approximately 3,000 Norfolk Southern employees as they establish their work and thrive in their new space. Several years after the grand opening in November 2021, the new headquarters still highlights inventive sustainability, enhanced wellness amenities, and an opportunity for economic growth.
