Photo Credit: Courtesy of HOK Sport
Nationals Park, located in the Near Southeast area of Washington, D.C., is America’s greenest ballpark, the first professional stadium in the United States to earn LEED Silver Certification. Situated on the banks of the Anacostia River--one of the most neglected natural resources in the region--the ballpark’s site dictated much of its sustainable design attributes to help minimize further pollution of the site and its surroundings.
The area is characterized by large public and subsidized housing complexes and relatively small portions of retail and commercial space. Parking near the ballpark is limited--not only to encourage the use of public transportation, but also to avoid the blight of surface parking, and to enable a more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. As a planned anchor for millions of dollars of mixed-use development in the area, Nationals Park’s design incorporated sidewalks, open spaces, plazas and retail frontage.
The previous inhabitants were low-density warehouses, an asphalt plant with its by-products and light industrial businesses, as well as a trash-transfer station. The ballpark was enrolled in the District of Columbia’s Voluntary Clean-Up Program, and, as such, the site’s 18.76 acres are in better condition environmentally than before its development. Additionally, the ground-water and storm-water systems put in place by this project are expected to provide continuous environmental remediation for the lifespan of the facility.