Green Ballpark

Nationals Park is the nation's first major professional stadium to become LEED Silver Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The project incorporates a variety of sustainable design elements.

Nationals Park is categorized as a brownfield redevelopment that is located near the Anacostia River. It is anticipated that the ballpark will serve as an anchor for urban revitalization of the area, including a new mixed-use entertainment zone.

• The ballpark site was enrolled in the Voluntary Clean Up Program and therefore provides an opportunity to leave the roughly 25-acre site a much better environment then when it was received. Environmental remediation efforts are ongoing.
• The ballpark's location is easily accessible to public transportation, including access to nearby metro stations and local bus routes.

• Water conserving plumbing fixtures are used throughout the project, saving an estimated 3.6 million gallons of water per year and reducing overall water consumption by 30 percent.
• Energy conserving light fixtures help reduce light pollution and realize a projected 21 percent energy savings over typical field lighting.
• Content of building materials used on the project contain a minimum of 10 percent recycled content, and other interior materials including adhesives, carpet glues and paints were specified with low VOC contents.
• Many of the building materials used on the project were produced regionally, which cut down on transportation costs while promoting the local economy.
• Landscape plant materials specified are drought resistant, conserving water by eliminating the need for irrigation.
• Roof materials offer a high degree of reflectance, minimizing the amount of heat released to the environment. A 6,300 square foot green roof above a concession/toilet area beyond left field minimizes roof heat gain.
• 5,500 tons of construction waste were recycled.

Because the site is within close proximity to the Anacostia River, much care was taken to treat storm and ground water runoff. The result is a unique, intricate water filtration system that separates water used for cleaning the ballpark from rainwater falling on the ballpark and treats both sources of water before it is released to the sanitary and stormwater systems. Special care was also given to screening organic debris such as peanut shells that are unique to this building type from the stormwater system.

• View a diagram detailing the sustainable aspects of Nationals Park (pdf) »