Nationals Park

The home of the Washington Nationals was Washington, D.C.’s most anticipated construction project in 2008. It was also one of the most public, scrutinized, complicated, expedited, and successful. The grand opening of the ballpark was nothing short of victorious – not just for the home team, but for the city of Washington, D.C., hundreds of local workers, and the joint venture project team of Clark/Hunt/Smoot that designed and built the park in just 23 months. The completion of Nationals Park – on time and on budget – is notable because of its expedited design-build construction schedule, use of innovative technology, aggressive local worker and business partnerships, and LEED^® Silver certification.

The ballpark was structured as a fast-track design-build project. Unlike many other design-build projects, however, construction began during the schematic design phase. This called for continual collaboration with the design team and subcontractors while taking advantage of new technology. The project used 3-D Building Information Modeling (BIM) software to plan, design, and accurately estimate the steel required for the skeletal frame. Faced with a market of escalating steel prices, the project team was able to lock in lower rates and expedite the construction schedule. Just-in-time delivery of the materials also helped save time and money.

Two days prior to Opening Day, the ballpark achieved LEED Silver certification, becoming the first professional sports stadium or ballpark to be LEED certified. Nationals Park features numerous environmentally-friendly elements, including an intricate groundwater and stormwater filtration system. Given the facility’s proximity to the Anacostia River, great care was taken to implement systems that treat both groundwater and stormwater runoff. The ballpark’s filtration system also separates water used for cleaning from rainwater and treats both sources of water before releasing them to sanitary and stormwater systems.