In 2013, when the founders of Redbrick LMD looked over a large swath of land in Southeast Washington, D.C., they immediately connected with the breathtaking views of the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Anacostia River, and expansive green space. They recognized that this kind of access was rare anywhere in the region, but especially in this often-overlooked corner of the city.
A metro station was steps away. Acres of national parkland and miles of riverfront trails were right next door. The Washington Nationals were within walking distance, as were numerous regional and federal headquarters. Yet this District land sat vacant and had not undergone new development in decades. Redbrick had a feeling for what this land could do for the District, and, teaming with ZGF Architects, the developer embraced the opportunity to make a difference.
More than a decade later, the Bridge District emerged to redefine responsible development, transforming underused land into an elegant, climate-conscious waterfront community and establishing a new multifamily residential model suitable for the nation’s capital. By seeking to deliver strong financial returns and optimize long-term value for investors, the Bridge District supports flexible and healthy lifestyles, fosters community connections, and mitigates the impacts of climate change—all while prioritizing a dual emphasis on luxury and sustainability.
The development is the world’s largest multifamily residential building pursuing Zero Carbon Certification by the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) and is the first of its kind in Washington, D.C. This ambitious approach was central to the design and development team’s vision from the start. By prioritizing high-efficiency, low-carbon construction and operational systems, the project would not only potentially maximize long-term real estate value and hedge against downside risk, it would also build a strong community of investors, retailers, and residents who are motivated to live sustainably and have a lasting, positive impact.
Earlier this year, the Bridge District’s first phase opened. Its mixed-use towers include 40,000 square feet (3,700 sq m) of retail and three distinct residential brands—Stratos, Poplar House, and Alula—that offer a combined 757 apartments. The building is oriented on the 8 acre (3.2 ha) site to maximize the number of residential units with views of the river, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, and other District of Columbia landmarks, and to optimize natural daylighting and indoor-outdoor connections. More than 80 percent of individual apartments feature larger-than-average balconies, whereas units are arranged to frame five landscaped terraces that are shared by residents, as are a rooftop pool deck and other outdoor gathering spaces. To encourage residents to spend more time outside, and to make doing so more comfortable, the terraces are strategically located to provide a variety of microclimates around the building—offering shade and soft breezes in the summer, and capturing warm sunlight in the winter.
Additional amenities include a fitness center, yoga studio, pet spa, bike lounge, demonstration kitchen and tasting room, event spaces, and a children’s playroom, all underscoring the community’s focus on wellness and multigenerational living. The design also integrates flexible spaces that support hybrid work and family life, including hard-to-find three-bedroom floor plans, which was a direct response to community feedback.
The Bridge District’s Poplar House lobby faces national parkland, just steps away, and a bike path directly connects the new building to an existing regional network of cycling and riverwalk trails. Enhancing the park’s existing tree canopy, 23,000-plus square feet (2,100 sq m) of landscaped space includes 32 new trees and more than 100 varieties of plants, which provide pollinator habitat, reduce urban heat gain, and mitigate stormwater runoff. The building also incorporates biophilic elements, including exterior and interior green walls, natural materials, interior plantings, and a soothing water feature in the lobby.
Building community connections
The Bridge District’s location at the foot of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge provides its residents with direct access to the Anacostia River and National Park. The location also improves connectivity for the broader community, which has remained relatively isolated in recent decades—overlooked as other surrounding neighborhoods have received more investment. This discrepancy further motivated Redbrick to do right for—and with—the community by building relationships and, more importantly, trust.
The Redbrick team participated in more than 375 community meetings and forged strong partnerships with the local community to learn more about its needs and aspirations. The opportunities for job creation, business and economic development, housing, and neighborhood-serving retail have been clear.
To help meet those needs, the construction of the Bridge District’s first phase included nine contracting firms from the immediate neighborhood—a total of $12 million in hyperlocal contracts. JTC Group, a third-party firm retained to evaluate the economic impact of this multi-use building, estimates that approximately 7,500 jobs will be created, leading to $620 million of labor income generated and $37 million of business tax income generated in the District of Columbia and its surroundings.
Notably, the development has required zero displacement. In the phase-one building, 12 percent of the square footage is designated for affordable housing, and 50 percent of that is dedicated to three-bedroom apartments. The aim with the ground-floor restaurants and retail is to further prioritize local businesses that expand economic opportunity and bring new energy to an area that has historically lacked neighborhood amenities and social spaces.
By attracting residents, tenants, and visitors from across all wards in the broader District, the Bridge District is also helping to reconnect the two sides of the Anacostia River. Its mix of riverfront housing, ground-floor retail, and public spaces is energizing the area and creating a lively, connected community.
In 2023, Atlas Brew Works signed a long-term lease for more than 24,000 square feet (2,230 sq m) of the Bridge District’s retail space, including a tap room and restaurant with outdoor seating. The popular District of Columbia brand was drawn to the project’s Zero Carbon commitment—Atlas’ operations, across all of its locations, have been 100 percent solar-powered since 2015.
Future-proofing design
Long-range planning is key to the Bridge District’s success. The project’s first phase was capitalized with $225 million of Opportunity Zone equity, primarily from individual investors, exemplifying the federal program’s ability to stimulate investment and bring jobs, tax revenue, and economic benefits to underserved communities. Opportunity Zone investments require a 10-year holding period before the development asset can be sold, which further bolstered Redbrick’s strategy to focus on embodied carbon and energy reduction to create lasting value.
Redbrick believes that enhancing energy efficiency in the building’s operations would not only move the needle on the development’s net operating income but would also improve the building’s long-term valuation as building efficiency standards will be higher in the future due to regulatory changes over time.
ZGF’s designers led the process of evaluating various regulations and rating systems, including LEED, WELL, and Passive House. Although no other multifamily residential building of this scale had yet achieved it, ILFI’s ambitious Zero Carbon certification ultimately offered the greatest alignment between Redbrick’s goals and market trends, including Washington, D.C.’s own goal for citywide carbon neutrality by 2050. This target, therefore, would become the design team’s guiding principle.
From large to small, every design decision was considered according to its impact on the Zero Carbon goal. The original master plan specified that 60 percent of the apartments would have valuable river and Capitol views. ZGF’s design raised this number to 75 percent by adjusting the building’s orientation and massing to simultaneously maximize views and minimize solar heat gain, reducing the building’s energy demand. Solar analyses also influenced the building’s glazing, ensuring that windows are properly positioned and sized for maximum value and efficiency. Also, rooftop solar augments offsite renewable energy sources to power the all-electric building.
Concrete structures are known to have a significant impact on carbon efficiency, so this aspect became another primary focus for the multidisciplinary design team. ZGF’s open-source Concrete LCA tool was used to calculate and compare proposed concrete mixes for the building’s structure, allowing the team to reduce the material’s impact by 34 percent. The team also made further reductions in concrete emissions by locating the project’s concrete production on a vacant lot next to the building site. Using this small, temporary batch plant to produce the Bridge District’s specific concrete mix significantly improved construction efficiency, and it greatly reduced transportation emissions and costs.
For the exterior façade, the team evaluated multiple material options, including metal panels and glass fiber reinforced concrete. Terracotta rose to the top as having the lowest carbon. The natural terracotta finish, selected in a standard color to improve affordability, not only contributes to the Bridge District’s biophilic design but also harks to traditional District of Columbia brick row homes.
ILFI requires a building to be at least 25 percent more efficient than a conventional one, and to demonstrate this level of efficiency for a full year before Zero Carbon certification can be confirmed. The Bridge District team aimed even higher than requirements by prioritizing the building’s systems. Rare for a multifamily development, the HVAC and water systems are centralized. This configuration facilitates a chilled water condenser loop system and allows thermal loads to be transferred within the building. For example, heat generated from anchor tenant Atlas Brew Works’ operations is used to heat water for the residential units above.
This centralized approach means lower utility bills for tenants. More efficient systems and natural materials also mean cleaner air and healthier spaces for residents. Overall, the design of Stratos, Poplar House, and Alula eases people’s ability to live sustainably and reduce their own carbon footprint, which becomes another selling point for the community, improves lease rates, and reduces tenant turnover for the developer.
Resilience
The Bridge District sets many precedents. In this first phase of development, carbon emissions were reduced by 37 percent during construction and are anticipated to be 40–45 percent less in the building’s ongoing operations. This step lays the foundation for Redbrick’s firm-wide commitment to decarbonization and Whole Lifecycle Net Zero Carbon buildings.
The newly opened first phase sets the tone for the rest of the Bridge District, envisioned as a complete mixed-use neighborhood with sustainability,
mobility, and community at its core. Future parcels will include additional residential totaling 2,000 market-rate and affordable units, as well as additional retail, restaurant, and cultural spaces for the surrounding region.
All future phases are planned to target ILFI Zero Carbon and LEED Platinum certifications, and several buildings are targeting mass timber construction.
The Bridge District is setting new standards for what resilient urban neighborhoods can look and feel like. Sustainability does not mean making sacrifices. Rather, Redbrick and ZGF demonstrate that luxury, livability, and low-carbon development can go hand in hand with generating economic returns and real estate value.
