Future Green Studio

2021 Half street steetscape

Half Street

Washington, DC

Design

Set within the dynamic landscape of DC’s Capitol Riverfront and neighboring the Washington Nationals baseball stadium, Future Green’s Half Street project is a mixed-use streetscape that integrates vehicular, pedestrian, and retail use, utilizing bioswales and other soft infrastructure to manage water runoff at this river-adjacent site. The design lays out a curbless street with an iconic paving pattern – derived from the organizing geometries of L’Enfant’s 1791 plan for the city of DC – to orient pedestrians and create a sense of landmark. This woonerf design allows for flexible use and allows the closure of the street on gameday and for other cultural events. Sculptural stone benches evoke local quarry-drawn slabs, which are artfully sliced to create a variety of seating experiences. Playful street lighting and movable furniture create a sense of identity for visitors. Sheltering allées of trees are paired with parallel planted bioswales, simultaneously managing groundwater and delineating space. This landscape-driven plan for Half Street’s public realm creates thoughtfully-curated street life on gameday and every day.