Merriweather District Area 3 was the first project in Maryland to achieve a LEED ND v4 Certification, and only the fifth in the United States to achieve this Certification. The 22 acre site is home to at least 7 buildings for almost 2 million square feet of development. Each individual building within the District is also pursuing individual certifications.
Project Information
Location
Columbia, MD
Client
The Howard Hughes Corporation
Owner
The Howard Hughes Corporation
Size
Over 750k sq ft
Certification
LEED ND: Plan Certified, LEED BD+C: New Construction Gold
Building on James Rouse’s 1967 neighborhood plan, the Merriweather District & Lakefront Development are transforming Columbia into an urban core district where residents can live, work, and play. Over the next several years, the neighborhoods will become home to a variety of new mixed-use residential, office, and retail buildings, along with new streets, infrastructure, and public amenity spaces.
In keeping with Rouse’s original vision for the region, the Howard Hughes Corporation felt it was important to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability and new urbanism principles. It was for that reason that the developer made the courageous and innovative decision to not only certify the individual buildings in the new developments, but to also embark on a certification process for each entire neighborhood. Lorax was contracted as the sustainability consultant on this ambitious project, and in March 2018, Merriweather District Area 3 became the first project to earn a LEED v4 ND certification in Maryland – one of only ten such projects in the world.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
- LEED Gold certification for three of the completed buildings, and LEED Platinum pending for the remaining eight projects
- Many acres of stream and wetland restoration
- Dense, walkable site design for easy access to public transportation, bicycle infrastructure, and a variety of community resources