Located at the highly visible corner of Old Georgetown Road and Fairmont Avenue, Cheval Bethesda comes into prominent view and welcomes people into the heart of the Bethesda central business district. The massing of the building is designed utilizing the traditional base-middle-top approach in a contemporary way. The base consists of four levels of structured parking and is given its own architectural treatment that is drawn from contemporary design and materials that define the residential tower. The design creates the impression that the garage is floating on the glassy ground-floor level. The middle section is a frame-like structure that arises from the parking levels, and forms a central spine on which the residential tower is erected. The top and canopy are represented by the dematerialization of the mass and by the light, irregular façade articulation. Changing balconies and glass sections that shift, fold, bend, and taper result in great visual interest both up close and from a distance.
The project also features an art incubator space that provides four individual studios on the first floor. These studios run parallel to the neighboring garage wall but are set back creating a “V” shaped wall and a gathering point in the middle of the paseo. By virtue of the angled wall the art studios can be seen from the street. The existing neighboring garage wall will is used as a canvas to project digital media showcasing the art production of the studios.