Building 126 (Washington Navy Yard)

Building 126 is currently the Visitor Center for the Washington Navy Yard, located by the Anacostia River in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is situated on the northeast corner of 11th and O Streets, Southeast. The one-storey building was recently renovated as part of the Washington Navy Yard Energy Demonstration Project to be a net-zero energy building. Although inventoried and determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, it is currently not part of an existing district.

History
Construction occurred between 1925-1938. Until 1950, Building 126 was the receiving station laundry, where clothes were washed, starched, and pressed. No dry-cleaning processes were performed, and no spills or releases to the soil or groundwater have been documented. The two exhaust towers are remnants from its original use and are currently non-functioning. After several years as the site of the Washington Navy Yard Police Station, Building 126 is currently the Visitor Center.

Washington Navy Yard Energy Demonstration Project
From 2011-2012, Building 126 was transformed into a net-zero energy building. Features include two wind turbines and 132 235 kW solar photovoltaic panels situated atop the adjacent parking garage, five geothermal wells, a battery energy storage system, and windows of electrochromic smart glass.