D.C.s Watermark luxury apartments receive LEED Gold certification

Washington, D.C.’s Buzzard Point, a post-industrial stretch of waterfront at the intersection of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, is getting a new lease on life with the recent opening of Watermark, the area’s first luxury apartment building that is also LEED Gold-certified. Designed by Antunovich Associates, the project began with the renovation of a 1970s 11-story office building — formerly home to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Protective Services — into a 600,000-square-foot mixed-use development with approximately 24,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and eight floors with 453 luxury apartment units. A new curtain wall system, operable windows and water-saving systems have helped the adaptive reuse project achieve high levels of energy efficiency.

large blue and white building

Located at 1900 Half Street, SW in Washington, D.C., the Watermark site was purchased in 2003 by Douglas Development Corporation for redevelopment and just recently welcomed its first residents in fall 2020. The luxury apartment complex offers studios to three-bedroom units priced from $1,500 per month up to the mid-$5,000s. In addition to direct access to the Riverwalk Promenade, the Watermark offers a suite of community amenities that include a rooftop infinity pool, grilling stations, a state-of-the-art fitness center and work out studio, two large courtyards and more; resident access is currently limited to certain amenities because of COVID-19.

white outdoor sofas on patio

series of high-top tables and chairs on roof facing a river view

In adapting the former office building to residential use, the architects reconfigured the floor plates to ensure optimized light and views from every unit and to create space for the two large public courtyards above the retail podium.

large indoor gym in apartment complex

large outdoor swimming pool

“We are honored Watermark has been recognized as a LEED-certified building, as we placed great weight into the environmental impact of this project and how to best foster the health of its occupants,” said Nicholas Pantuliano, Chief Operations Officer at PTM, a co-developer of the project. “LEED is a transformative tool that is revolutionizing our built environment and allowing projects like Watermark to become socially responsible spaces to live, work and play.”

+ Antunovich Associates

Photography by Helen Kozak via Antunovich Associates

large glass building near river at dusk

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