New D.C. United stadium will be LEED Gold

Great news soccer fans in the nation's capital! The new D.C. United stadium that will be built at Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington will be LEED Gold certified, the highest sustainability standard from the U.S. Green Building Council. More details on how the new stadium will be one of the most environmentally friendly stadiums in the country from the application for review and approval of a consolidated planned unit development:

Environmental Benefits

According to Section 2403.9(h), "environmental benefits such as […] stormwater runoff
controls in excess of those required by the Stormwater Management Regulations; use of natural
design techniques that store, infiltrate, evaporate, treat and detain runoff in close proximity to
where the runoff is generated, and preservation of open space or trees” are deemed to be public
benefits and project amenities. The Stadium will be designed to satisfy LEED Gold standards.

Sustainable design was a project goal from the onset. Systems design, project processes,
and material selection in compliance with the requirements of LEED for New Construction
v2009 were given highest priority. The project team held separate LEED meetings on a regular
basis throughout early design stages to ensure maximum credit achievement toward the Project’s
goal of LEED Gold certification. The project team worked closely to ensure that the building
design, building systems, and building operational policies were not only compliant with LEED
standards, but met optimal performance conditions.

The Stadium’s sustainable features will include the following: reduced parking footprint
and secure bicycle storage space to promote alternative transportation to and from the site;
infiltration basins with sediment chambers located below the playing field to reduce the volume
of stormwater runoff from the site; use of low or no-flow fixtures throughout to reduce water
consumption; use of environmentally preferable building materials including those with high
recycled content; and low or no-VOC emissions.