Dennard Plaza

The $12 million project features 90,000 square feet of new green roof space(above the parking garage), stormwater collection cisterns with a combined 18,000 gallon capacity, and a new water feature, which reuses captured rainwater.

The UDC Dennard Plaza is located on top of the parking garage serving the University District of Columbia (UDC) Van Ness Campus. Volkert was tasked to repair structural, waterproofing, and operational issues; as well as create a memorable open space at the plaza level. Volkert initiated a planning process that included a series of charrattes resulting in a design that meets today’s mission, yet is flexible enough to expand throughout the campus and meet the needs of the future.

 

For the university, this effort was not only an infrastructure improvements project, but an endeavor to change the university’s image. The new design sets out to change the user’s mind-set and creates an inviting environment where a contemporary landscape blends with the surrounding architecture.

 

UDC is determined to introduce green solutions throughout the campus. Fundamental to the renovation of the plaza is the concept of sustainable stormwater management. The team set out to meet three “green” goals as part of the plaza design:

• Reduce the impervious area by one-third.

• Capture the 1” stormwater event.  

• Use harvested water.

​