Sustainability & Resilience

Green, Smart, and Built for the Future

The Wharf was designed and constructed as a sustainable neighborhood and a resilient and lasting waterfront community. We invested heavily in carrying out our mission of supporting Washington’s waterways and improving the quality of the surrounding habitat.

Sustainability and resilience at The Wharf started at the master planning stage and informed every decision of development, design, construction, and operation.

The Wharf:

  • Is designed to achieve Gold certification for LEED Neighborhood Development; and all individual buildings are targeting LEED Gold or Silver certification.
  • Exceeds many of the requirements of the District’s Green Building Act and the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative
  • Was designed as a highly efficient, densely developed mixed-use neighborhood featuring residential, retail, office, and 14 acres of park and public spaces.
  • Is a highly walkable community with easy access to public transportation.
  • Includes robust, well-designed, and well-constructed buildings and public spaces with advanced systems and technologies.
  • Utilizes timeless architecture and materials that are durable, resilient, and will age gracefully
  • Was developed through a long-term builder and long-term investor mindset for significant long-term ecological and economic benefits.
  • Elevated the site and seawall so that all newly-constructed buildings are at least three feet above the 100-year flood level
  • Constructed an innovative 600,000-gallon underground cistern system (the volume of an olympic swimming pool) that captures and filters rainwater runoff and reuses the gray water onsite for cooling towers and flushing toilets
  • Covered a majority of the site with permeable pavements, green roofs, and substantial vegetative bioretention to capture and filter stormwater and runoff before they reach the Potomac River
  • Installed 300 new trees and preserved mature oaks
  • Built 340 square feet of floating wetland systems
  • Installed hundreds of bicycle racks and a dozen electric car charging stations
  • Takes advantage of multiple forms of on-site sustainable energy production and conservation, including a co-generation plant and energy-efficient lighting.

In addition to the investments in sustainable building and infrastructure, The Wharf continues to invest in operations that improve our natural environment, including:

  • Planting and maintaining over 300 planters and the floating wetlands to support flora and fauna on site and in the Washington Channel

  • Hosting the bi-annual Washington Channel Water Cleanup–a community effort that regularly removes a full dumpster of trash and wood debris from the waterway

  • Ongoing partnerships with the Potomac Riverkeeper, Anacostia Riverkeeper, and university aquatic research groups to support fishable and swimmable waterways

  • Installation of a High Water Mark art installation to raise public awareness of flooding risks, created by artists at Hackreative, in partnership with the DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) and the Federal Emergencey Management Agency (FEMA).

LEED Certification at The Wharf

With Phase 1 of The Wharf complete, and with Phase 2 underway, The Wharf has currently achieved the following certifications through the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) rating system:

  • The Wharf Neighborhood: LEED-ND Stage 2 Gold
  • 1000 Maine: LEED-CS Gold
  • Channel Apartments & The Anthem: LEED-NC Silver
  • 800 Maine: LEED-CS Gold
  • InterContinental Hotel: LEED-NC Gold
  • VIO Condominium & Incanto Apartments: LEED-NC Silver
  • Hyatt House & Canopy by Hilton Hotels: LEED-NC Gold
  • Municipal Fish Market: LEED-CS Silver
  • Capital Yacht Club: LEED-NC Silver
  • 525 Water Condominium: LEED-NC Silver

All buildings at The Wharf Phase 2 have filed preliminary documents to seek LEED Certification at the time of completion in 2022. At that time, The Wharf will also seek LEED-ND Stage 3 certification for the completed neighborhood development.

In addition, among the office tenants at The Wharf, the following tenants have achieved further LEED Certification through their commercial interior design and construction:

  • Madison-Marquette: LEED ID+C Certified
  • Fish & Richardson: LEED-CI Gold
  • WGL: LEED-CI Gold

Get Your Fill at The Wharf

Fresh seafood is a given at DC’s Southwest Waterfront. But The Wharf offers more, including a wide selection of distinctive choices for food, drinks, and entertainment while you eat. Watch the chefs prepare your meal. Listen to live music. Or just people-watch while you savor the flavors of The Wharf.

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Browse the Shops

Whether you’re looking for something specific or simply like to spend a few hours in our unique collection of stores, chances are you’ll find just what you’re looking for at our shops at The Wharf. And, of course, you can always treat yourself to a delicious dessert—or celebrate your shopping finds with a drink at one of our restaurants.

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