Location: 7200 South Ingleside, Illinois 60629-1322
Date Designed / Built: 2006
Client: The youth at Gary Comer Research Center and Gary Comer
Designers: Architect: John Ronan Architects, Landscape Architect: Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects, Structural Engineer: ARUP, Greenroof System: American Hydrotech, General Contractor: W.E. O’Neil Construction Co., Landscape Contractor: Walsh Landscape Construction, Inc.
Originally, the Gary Comer Youth Research Center was on a grey field land use area, meaning that the specific piece of land is underutilized and not providing any benefits to the community. Gary Comer, the founder, wanted youth to feel comfortable learning and understanding the benefits of agriculture in their community. Because of the dense urban atmosphere of Chicago, students can learn about climate, soil rotation, and farm-to-table practices.
The Gary Comer Youth Research Center seeks to provide a safe place for youth to learn about urban agriculture. The garden, that is over eight-thousand square feet and yields over 1,000 pounds of food annually, is located on the roof above the cafeteria and gymnasium of the building, enclosed by surrounding windows. It provides 18''-24'' of soil depth, light wells, ventilation systems, and lumber and plastic recycled pathways, and there is a full-time garden manager who maintains the integrity of the garden.
Birdseye view of the rooftop garden, the light wells providing light for the gymnasium, and surrounding windows.
Image source: Scott Shigley; Gary Comer Youth Center | Landscape Performance Series
The Gary Comer Research Center gives students access to indoor and outdoor environments which can help students have hands-on learning experiences. They learn how to integrate the specific design objectives of the garden to help them learn other subjects like horticulture, geometry, technology, and much more.
The garden has engaged the interests of both the old and young demographics which provides strong diversity within the research center.
Planting for both aesthetic and educational purposes allow for students to be engaged with the garden year-round.
Implementing an irrigation system to the garden helped maintain the extreme climates in the area.
Location: 1150 Pottersville Road, Gladstone, New Jersey 07934
Date Designed / Built: 2003
Client: Willow School Students/Faculty/Parents and Community Members
Designers: Landscape Architect: Back To Nature, Executive Architect: Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, Environmental Engineer: Biohabitats Inc., Wastewater Consultant: Natural Systems International, Structural Engineer: Harrison-Hamnett, P.C., MEP Engineer: Joseph R. Loring and Associates, Inc., Stormwater/Waste Management: Natural Systems International, LLC, Civil Engineer: Apgar Associates, Environmentalist: Natural Logic, Site Analysis Consultant: Regenesis Group, Inc., General Contractor: Solid Wood Construction, LLC, Lighting and Materials Consultant: The Seven Group, Building Forensics: Camroden Associates, Commissioning Agent: Engineered Energy System
The Willow School project was initiated in an attempt to save the original school building after it had begun to deteriorate. The lack of understory vegetation around the building led to exhausted and eroded topsoil, exposing the building's foundation. To restore the property, school officials reached out to the community and county regulators to initiate problem-solving for the restoration of the land. This cooperation not only provided solutions to the environment but allowed students the opportunity to learn about sustainability, gardening, and environmentally safe practices.
The Willow School offers a wide variety of learning opportunities for youth including vegetation restoration and wastewater and stormwater management. The 34-acre site includes vegetable gardens, flower beds, wooded and non-wooded playgrounds, infiltration fields, and stormwater ponds. The site also includes a fiberglass settling tank for wastewater, plantings with no chemicals involved, and LEED-certified buildings. All of these provide more effective and beneficial ecosystems that not only makes the environment visually pleasing but also environmentally safe for all living organisms.
The Willow School entrance provides a wide variety of native and drought-resistant perennials.
Image source: Landscape Architecture Foundation (Christopher D. Ellis, CSI 2012); The Willow School | Landscape Performance Series
The Lunch Garden at the Willow School provides a place for students to learn agricultural and farm-to-table practices.
Image source: Landscape Architecture Foundation (Christopher D. Ellis, CSI 2012); The Willow School | Landscape Performance Series
The pond at the Willow School serves as a detention area for stormwater, a habitat for wildlife, and a place for students to study ecology and biodiversity.
Image source: Christopher D. Ellis, Back to Nature, The Willow School; The Willow School | Landscape Performance Series
This project successfully incorporates sustainable water, wastewater, and vegetation restoration plans to revive the depleting land. Because of this, students and active community members learn how to live in sync with the thriving ecosystems around them while also reaping the benefits it produces.
The students are involved in a variety of different learning opportunities including gardening, recycling, and composting.
Implementing sustainable practices early on can help the project save money and time.
LEED certification is important in the process of making the project environmentally sufficient and successful.
Understanding zoning regulations and redefining the scope of those regulations with county and city officials can benefit the outcome for both the community and the environment.
https://willowschool.org/campus/
https://www.biohabitats.com/wp-content/uploads/WillowSchool.pdf
Location: 195 Prospect Street New Haven, Connecticut 06511
Date Designed / Built: 2009
Client: Yale University/ Staff/ Students/ Locals
Designers: Design Architect: Hopkins Architects, Executive Architect: Centerbrook Architects & Planners, LLP, Sustainable Design: Atelier Ten, Landscape Architect: OLIN, Civil Engineer and Storm, Water Management: Nitsch Engineering, Inc., Geothermal Engineers: Haley and Aldrich, Structural, MEP, Fire Protection Engineers: ARUP, Facade Engineering/Thermal Performance: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc., Architectural Lighting and Acoustical Design: ARUP, Specialty Consultants, Materials Handling: SEA Consultants, Inc., Code Consultant: P.R Sherman, Inc., Specification Consultant: Kalin Associates, Cost Estimator: Faithful + Gould, Construction Manager: Turner Construction Company
The project was initiated to help reduce stormwater runoff by collecting and diverting water on the site. This site is now used for students and other outdoor activities such as alumni events, graduation parties, and happy hour.
Before the initial design process, the Kroon Hall was a 3.5 acre greyfield. An aging, decommissioned power plant, parking lot and patched road site occupied the site. The elements of design included a rainwater harvesting system that is now built over a node that provides stormwater elements. These elements connect the landscape and school buildings with open green space and native plants to incorporate studying activities.
Kroon Hall incorporates a treatment basin with a variety of plants to help clean excess runoff with using plants.
Image source: Koon Hall Picture of Basin https://www.landscapeperformance.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/Kroon-Focal.jpg?itok=uWeHk8wn
The focal point of the site incorporates a greenspace and the treatment basin which is a place for gathering and learning.
Image source: Kroon Hall Picture of Focal Point https://www.landscapeperformance.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/Kroon-Focal.jpg?itok=uWeHk8wn
Kroon Hall existing site picture was a greyfield, parking lot, and brick building.
Image source: Kroon Hall Picture of existing landscape https://www.landscapeperformance.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/Kroon-Before.jpg?itok=c45PVIFR
The project was a collaborative effort with many working parts that saves and holds a lot more stormwater. It is now a lively open space built for numerous activities.
Mats of trailing plant roots
This can be a better solution for helping clean water runoff than soil does.
“First Flush” device
Some type of device is needed to help remove trash, sediment and other excess runoff on the site.
Rainwater harvest systems for greywater reuse
The demand for greywater reuse is very high, resulting in the construction of foundation pumps.
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies: Kroon Hall
LEED Platinum (2010)
2009 IIDA/Metropolis Smart Environments Award
Location: 1064 Lowell St Tuscon, Arizona 85719
Date Designed / Built: 2015
Client: University of Arizona/staff/students/locals
Designer: Landscape Design Architect: Colwell Shelor Landscape Architecture, Landscape Architect of Record: McGann & Associates, Architect of Record: GLHN Architects & Engineers, Design Architect: Richärd Kennedy Architects, General Contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Landscape Contractor: Santa Rita Landscaping, Structural Engineer: Turner Structural Engineering
This design was created to help with environmental issues. This area is known for droughts, high winds, and extreme heat narrowing down the focus to these elements. This area was made to help collect stormwater runoff that can be used to help reuse this water for everyday needs.
This project is on Arizona’s campus which used to be an old parking lot that was transformed into a desert feel landscape. The area had many different climate issues which made it difficult for designers. Water in the desert was a big issue so drought tolerant and stormwater reuse designs needed to be implemented. This in itself was made to be a microclimate to help lower energy building costs.
The ENR2 building has an interior courtyard with benches that arise when the ground starts to sink down.
Image source: Interior Ground Level Benches https://www.landscapeperformance.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/2024-01/ENR2-benches.jpg?itok=rAlOK3_k
In the building design of ENR2 they are multiple stories that have water drains that pass down each level creating sound like a water fall.
Image source: ENR2 Rainwater Drains https://www.landscapeperformance.org/sites/default/files/styles/lightbox/public/2024-01/ENR2-rain2.png?itok=-TghquBV
The ENR2 courtyard was inspired by the form of this slot canyon that is out in Arizona.
Image source: ERN2 Inspiration
The project turned out to be a success creating an illustrative micro climate. It also helped create a place for learning for different school departments.
Early coordination between the landscape architects and the architect designing the new buildings: The lack of communication between the architect and landscape architects made it hard for the landscapers to plant shrubs as the soils did not have enough depth in them as they should have.
Some of the terraced planting beds did not receive runoff water: As this area has so much drought some plants did not receive any water resulting in having to add irrigation systems to help get the water the plants needed.
Stabilized granite walls were not detailed correctly resulting in failure: Some of the granite walls and rocks began to erode quickly causing malfunctions. This all led back to how the details were constructed in the plans.
University of Arizona Institute for Resilience: ENR2
Colwell Shelor: University of Arizona Environmental and Natural Resources 2
Richärd|Kennedy Architects: University of Arizona Environmental + Natural Resources 2
Urban Land Institute Developing Urban Resilience: ENR2
The Chicago Athenaeum: International Architecture Awards, 2021.
Ellis, Christopher D., Byoung-Suk Kweon, and Mark Storie. “The Willow School.” Landscape Performance Series. Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2012. https://doi.org/10.31353/cs0330
Yocom, Ken and Delia Lacson. “Gary Comer Youth Center.” Landscape Performance Series. Landscape Architecture Foundation, 2011. https://doi.org/10.31353/cs0210
Robinson, M. (2019, June 6). Kroon Hall, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Landscape Performance Series. https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/kroon-hall-yale#project-team
Dimond, K. (2024, January 24). Environment and natural resources 2 building (ENR2). Landscape Performance Series. https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/ENR2#project-team