U.S. Botanic Garden

Part of the U.S. Botanic Garden campus since 1932 when it was created, Bartholdi Park is a two-acre oasis in downtown Washington, D.C. that showcases innovative plant combinations in a variety of styles and design themes. The $3.2 million improvement project completed in 2016 was designed to enhance accessibility and sustainability, while incorporating green infrastructure.

The triangular site, which is tucked away between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the House of Representatives, and steps away from the U.S. Capitol, serves as an educational resource, featuring stormwater techniques that meet new federal regulations and can be applied in dense urban environments.

Meliora provided green infrastructure engineering for new porous paver paths and plazas; a porous concrete entryway; retrofit of two fountains to become bioretention areas; and a series of bioretention areas in the renovated landscape.

The project achieved Gold Certification through the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) in 2016.

For more about Bartholdi Park, visit the U.S. Botanic Garden website and check out a 2018 article in the Washington Post, “Many rain gardens fall flat. This one shows how it’s done.”