A Northern Virginia remodeling company is swapping its office park home for a century-old storefront on one of Vienna's most historic blocks. Moss Building & Design plans to open its new Vienna Architectural Design Center at 108 Church Street NE, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony set for Thursday, October 22, from 5 to 6 p.m., marking both a headquarters relocation and the firm's 25th year in business.
The move, first reported by FFXnow, shifts the company's base from its larger former headquarters at the Lafayette Business Center in Chantilly into a smaller space on Church Street. Paul Desroches II said the relocation represents an exciting new chapter for the company, explaining that the studio will provide a more intimate, inspiring design experience, according to a company statement cited by the outlet. The design center will bring roughly 50 employees into downtown Vienna.
A 1922 Building Changes Hands
Fairfax County property records show the building at 108 Church Street NE was constructed in 1922 and has historically hosted personal services retailers. Most recently, Diamond Spa occupied the space beginning in October 2007 before closing earlier this year, per the spa's BBB profile cited in the same report. County property records also show that James S. Moon sold the building to Moss Building & Design for $1.68 million on February 13.
The building's shift from a personal-services tenant to a design-build headquarters fits neatly into a redevelopment pattern that has been building along Church Street for years. The corridor operates under the Town of Vienna's Church Street Vision Plan, adopted in July 1999, which offers property owners expedited reviews, reduced parking requirements, and added square footage in exchange for design features that echo the street's late 19th-century streetscape character. Church Street was Vienna's original commercial main street before retail activity shifted to Maple Avenue following the opening of the town's first modern shopping center in 1954, according to the Town of Vienna.
Town Officials Welcome the Investment
Vienna Director of Economic Development Nicole Toulouse said the investment strengthens the town's commercial districts and reinforces Vienna as a place where businesses can grow. Mayor Linda Colbert echoed that sentiment, saying she was thrilled to welcome Moss's new headquarters to Vienna as the company celebrates 25 years in business. Colbert added that the move into what she called an iconic building in the heart of Church Street is an exciting community investment, and that the town looks forward to having Moss there for years to come.
The corridor has seen other significant change recently. The Vienna Town Council approved a Church Street Vision redevelopment project in July 2022 at 139–145 Church Street NW, redeveloping a site with several retail and office buildings into a three-story mixed-use building featuring 14,152 square feet of non-residential space, including a two-level garage, and 13,055 square feet for 11 residential units, according to Patch. That project marked the fifth major development approved under the town's Church Street Vision program.
From ExxonMobil Cubicle to Family Remodeling Firm
Moss Building & Design was founded in July 2001 by Jason Hampel and his father, Pete Hampel, who had worked as an executive at a large IT firm before transitioning into residential remodeling. Jason Hampel, a former ExxonMobil employee, co-founded the company in part after his grandfather, Paul “Moss” Hampel, advised him to consider what he was working hard for, according to Moss Building & Design's company history.
Today the firm serves homeowners throughout Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland, offering design and construction services focused on additions and kitchen, basement, and bathroom renovations. The company recently won a bronze award in Qualified Remodeler's 2026 Master Design Awards for a home addition project in Great Falls and ranked No. 121 on the publication's list of the top 500 U.S. remodeling companies this year.
Vienna's Housing Market
Vienna's housing data provides a snapshot of the local market. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data puts the median construction year for housing units in Vienna at 1971, according to Point2Homes.
Vienna homeowners also tend to have the means to invest heavily in those projects rather than move. U.S. Census Bureau estimates reported this year place the median value of owner-occupied housing in Vienna at approximately $1,008,800, according to the Konah Real Estate Group. Point2Homes reports a median income of $216,953 for 2024. Fairfax County's permitting process has also drawn praise: the NAIOP Research Foundation ranked the county number one nationwide in 2023 for its commercial and residential building permitting process among 100 North American jurisdictions, citing its transparency and flexible review options.
