Environmentally sustainable development is a founding principle of The Shooshan Company. Since our inception, The Shooshan Company has focused on smart growth development in urban infill locations with access to mass transit. Founders Square continues this focus by remediating an existing brownfield site, setting new standards for sustainable design as part of the LEED ND pilot program and providing abundant public green space.

RTKL, a leading international architecture firm, has designed the project to create a live-work-play environment, energy efficient buildings and abundant green space. Each building will participate in the LEED green building certification program and is designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. Furthermore, the entire development is part of the LEED-ND pilot program and seeks to achieve the LEED-ND Gold certification. This cutting-edge development will replace the current industrial site that has served as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) bus yard for decades. The existing brownfield site will undergo environmental remediation to transform this non-public, industrial site into a vibrant urban campus.

Besides the achievement of LEED certification and remediation of the brownfield industrial site, the development will provide the community with abundant open green space. Over half the site will consist of active landscaping in an attractive park setting. Arlington residents will have the opportunity to enjoy this transformed setting as they visit the planned retail amenities, which include a variety of shops and restaurants. The Founders Square development will also provide for the enhancement of the adjacent Mosaic Park. Current proposals call for the park to double in size to approximately two acres with features including active open space, a water feature, rain garden and cultivated landscapes. The enlarged and redesigned Mosaic Park will provide an attractive amenity to both the surrounding neighbors and future residents of Founders Square.

Although some projects may claim more LEED points on a given building, no development in Arlington (or the DC metro) can match the planned combination of LEED Silver certified buildings, a LEED-ND gold certification, an urban development providing more than 50% of public green space and revitalization and expansion of a 2 acre neighborhood park. These aspects of Founders Square secure the claim as Arlington's greenest development.