"This beautifully detailed design is remarkable for its ability on a central quad to combine green lawn space with rain gardens and systems, which are incredibly hard to merge, and it does it in a comfortable manner. . . It’s going to maintain well. They’ve allowed for tree growth and brought attention to it."- 2014 Awards Jury

“這個(gè)設(shè)計(jì)完美巧妙，構(gòu)思細(xì)膩，因?yàn)樗�能夠把中央的一處方形地塊中綠色草坪空間和雨水花園系統(tǒng)完美結(jié)合起來(lái)，這些事物是很難融合到一起的，而該設(shè)計(jì)卻做到了，并且舒適自然，同時(shí)綠地環(huán)境得到了維護(hù)。設(shè)計(jì)者考慮到了植物的生長(zhǎng)并且對(duì)此也給予了足夠的重視。”- 2014年獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)評(píng)審團(tuán)

ASLA
Philadelphia, PA | Andropogon Associates Ltd.  | Client: University of Pennsylvania

Shoemaker Green is a new, 2.75-acre public green at the heart of the University of Pennsylvania’s historic athletics precinct. The project has transformed an underused and under-appreciated corner of the campus into a harmonious merger of people and place, of history and emergence, and of function with high performance. The ecological sophistication and holistic approach to site design is evident in the final form of the work: a profoundly beautiful and fitting campus space.

休梅克綠地是一處新近落成，占地2.75英畝的公共綠地，位于賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)歷史上著名田徑運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)中心區(qū)。該項(xiàng)目將校園中一片未得到充分利用的荒廢角落改造成了一塊高效多功能的綠地，在這里，人與自然、歷史與當(dāng)代和諧完美的融會(huì)到一起。在該綠地竣工之后，其設(shè)計(jì)的生態(tài)復(fù)雜性和整體分析彰顯無(wú)遺：美麗動(dòng)人，心曠神怡的校園空間。

 

↑ Resilient Open Space
Shoemaker Green provides flexible gathering spaces throughout the site and accommodates a multitude of uses, from passive use and outdoor classrooms, to larger events, such as outdoor concerts, graduation, and international events, like the Penn Relays.
彈性靈活的開(kāi)放空間
休梅克綠地橫貫校園中央，可給人們提供靈活的多功能的聚集空間：可供人們能在此休閑和用作戶(hù)外教學(xué)場(chǎng)地，也可在此舉辦大型活動(dòng)，比如：戶(hù)外音樂(lè)會(huì)、畢業(yè)典禮及賓州接力賽等國(guó)際性比賽
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon

 

項(xiàng)目簡(jiǎn)介

休梅克綠地總共占地2.75英畝，緊靠第33街東面，位于沃爾納特街與斯普魯斯兩條街道之間。該項(xiàng)目將荒廢已久的網(wǎng)球場(chǎng)和幾條狹窄的通道以及具有歷史意義的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)紀(jì)念碑景點(diǎn)組成的場(chǎng)地改造為費(fèi)城西部地區(qū)的公共綠化空間設(shè)施。該設(shè)計(jì)借鑒了賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)傳統(tǒng)校園綠地的特點(diǎn)，營(yíng)造出一種似曾相識(shí)的視覺(jué)，同時(shí)將緊鄰的各建筑入口、人行道、路緣石和陡峭斜坡階梯進(jìn)行了整合。整塊綠地是賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)東西方向主體步行系統(tǒng)的重要組成部分，它將校園中心區(qū)與田徑運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)連接起來(lái)，同時(shí)也是賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)校區(qū)向東擴(kuò)建的重點(diǎn)區(qū)域。在該場(chǎng)地的邊緣是賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)最具標(biāo)志性的體育設(shè)施：菲爾德豪斯體育場(chǎng)和富蘭克林運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)，休梅克綠地成為了這兩大歷史性建筑設(shè)施的前庭空間。該項(xiàng)目為可持續(xù)性校園設(shè)計(jì)樹(shù)立了標(biāo)桿，同時(shí)獲得了可持續(xù)場(chǎng)地倡議組織的二星榮譽(yù)。

該綠地由中央半圓形草坪和一個(gè)大型雨水花園組成，其邊緣是由精細(xì)石材修筑而成的擋土墻和幾條雅致曲折的人行道所環(huán)繞。通過(guò)對(duì)賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)傳統(tǒng)景觀材料及設(shè)計(jì)方法的延用，這塊綠地自然地融入到原有校園環(huán)境系統(tǒng)中，使之具有現(xiàn)代感，并且實(shí)現(xiàn)了有效擴(kuò)展。大型多層花崗巖坐墻為綠地提供了坐歇設(shè)施，綠地上種植著幾株刺槐樹(shù)，為在此休息的人們平添了幾分舒適與愜意。其間擺放地咖啡桌椅和具有賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)校園特色休閑長(zhǎng)椅，為人們提供了一個(gè)靈活的多功能公共聚集空間。高效節(jié)能的照明設(shè)計(jì)為休梅克綠地的夜間安全提供了保障，在這些柔和燈光的照射下，校園中的歷史建筑別有一番韻味，提升了整個(gè)綠地空間的文化及歷史內(nèi)含。

 

場(chǎng)地分析

在項(xiàng)目設(shè)計(jì)之初，設(shè)計(jì)師們便對(duì)項(xiàng)目場(chǎng)地狀況進(jìn)行了深入地評(píng)估，以對(duì)整個(gè)場(chǎng)地空間的歷史背景、環(huán)境現(xiàn)狀、生態(tài)結(jié)構(gòu)以及功能性做出系統(tǒng)的了解。場(chǎng)地的設(shè)計(jì)對(duì)綠地使用者需求與喜好非常在意，以賓夕法尼亞人長(zhǎng)期以來(lái)對(duì)于自然的欣賞和他們的需求及偏好為出發(fā)點(diǎn)。因而，一個(gè)由賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)代表、費(fèi)城相關(guān)機(jī)構(gòu)代表和設(shè)計(jì)團(tuán)隊(duì)代表組成的多方利益團(tuán)體應(yīng)運(yùn)而生，對(duì)整個(gè)項(xiàng)目設(shè)計(jì)過(guò)程進(jìn)行嚴(yán)格監(jiān)督和審查，最終形成了全面完美的設(shè)計(jì)方案。

 

場(chǎng)地規(guī)劃

休梅克綠地主要是迎合休閑娛樂(lè)需求，并能夠同時(shí)容納多種校園活動(dòng)的舉辦。作為校園田徑運(yùn)動(dòng)場(chǎng)核心區(qū)的全新開(kāi)放公共空間，休梅克綠地還需具備諸多前所未有的綜合性功用。綠地空間投入使用后，可支持各種規(guī)模的活動(dòng)的舉辦，包括一些重大的校內(nèi)活動(dòng)，比如：畢業(yè)典禮、大型集會(huì)以及賓州接力賽等國(guó)際性比賽，同時(shí)也可作為戶(hù)外課堂、播放夜晚露天電影、舉辦音樂(lè)會(huì)和展覽會(huì)等。

 

過(guò)渡空間

在斯庫(kù)基爾河沿岸賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)校園區(qū)域連接總體規(guī)劃中，休梅克綠地成為了校園中央古老建筑結(jié)構(gòu)與更為現(xiàn)代的新型時(shí)尚開(kāi)放空間之間的一個(gè)過(guò)渡。該綠地繼續(xù)秉承原有的刺槐/史密斯步行道的設(shè)計(jì)特點(diǎn)，并同時(shí)吸納了賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)傳統(tǒng)的校園綠化景觀元素，同時(shí)融入了新的設(shè)計(jì)元素，這些都反映了可持續(xù)發(fā)展及生態(tài)景觀設(shè)計(jì)的重要性。

 

系統(tǒng)化的設(shè)計(jì)思路

休梅克綠地創(chuàng)造了一個(gè)多功能的校園景觀空間，它不僅提供了良好的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)服務(wù)功能，而且還滿(mǎn)足了賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)提出的相關(guān)計(jì)劃要求。該綠地的功能化運(yùn)行如同人的腎臟，通過(guò)一個(gè)綜合性景觀系統(tǒng)，收集了整個(gè)場(chǎng)地95%的雨水量，對(duì)雨水進(jìn)行傳送、過(guò)濾及存儲(chǔ)，之后可以用于灌溉。其余的水源需求則依靠毗鄰建筑的屋頂雨水徑流及空調(diào)冷凝水。

休梅克綠地的設(shè)計(jì)源于一種系統(tǒng)化的設(shè)計(jì)思路，即將自然生態(tài)系統(tǒng)（土壤、植物、昆蟲(chóng)、鳥(niǎo)類(lèi)和人類(lèi)）與人工營(yíng)造的系統(tǒng)（建筑構(gòu)件和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施）整合成為一個(gè)功能性的整體。該設(shè)計(jì)采取雙管齊下的有效方法來(lái)管理場(chǎng)地內(nèi)的雨水。其首要策略就是將雨水徑流傳送至一個(gè)包含經(jīng)過(guò)設(shè)計(jì)的土壤層和多種原生植物的大型雙層雨水花園中，目的是對(duì)大量的雨水進(jìn)行治理、過(guò)濾、蓄存，然后最終排出用于灌溉；另一個(gè)方法就是從該場(chǎng)地及相鄰建筑中收集雨水徑流和空調(diào)冷凝水，并將其釋放到主體綠地下方的土壤層中。這些水源在經(jīng)過(guò)土壤層時(shí)被有效過(guò)濾，然后滲入到綠地以下幾英尺深的大型蓄水臺(tái)中。原有網(wǎng)球場(chǎng)中的很大一部分得以留存，并置于現(xiàn)有綠地下方，以支持地下循環(huán)蓄水臺(tái)的運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。沒(méi)有流經(jīng)土壤層和原生植物的多余水資源經(jīng)由地下排水系統(tǒng)采集，之后被傳送到另一個(gè)大型蓄水池中進(jìn)行蓄存，并得以循環(huán)再利用。一旦整個(gè)系統(tǒng)處于滿(mǎn)負(fù)荷運(yùn)作狀態(tài)，則大量雨水將溢流入原有的市政下水道設(shè)施中，以避免嚴(yán)重積水。

在施工過(guò)程中，所有之前用過(guò)的材料都得以充分回收或升級(jí)再造。通過(guò)培訓(xùn)項(xiàng)目承包商們了解了安裝非傳統(tǒng)雨水基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施的相應(yīng)方法；確切地說(shuō)，他們是了解了雨水處理設(shè)施與土壤及植栽材料協(xié)同作用的重要性。具體的施工協(xié)調(diào)和測(cè)序?qū)τ谠擁?xiàng)目成功施行是十分重要的。費(fèi)城水利部門(mén)和可持續(xù)場(chǎng)地倡議組織都對(duì)該項(xiàng)目進(jìn)行了嚴(yán)格檢測(cè)，并要求對(duì)項(xiàng)目文檔進(jìn)行詳盡編制。

 

場(chǎng)地監(jiān)測(cè)

休梅克綠地已成為罕見(jiàn)的綠色基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施典范，究其原因，它是一個(gè)經(jīng)過(guò)嚴(yán)格檢測(cè)的高效能景觀項(xiàng)目，可以將水源進(jìn)行回收、過(guò)濾，并有效地將清潔的水資源重新回流到環(huán)境中。一份歷時(shí)五年的監(jiān)測(cè)規(guī)劃的制定，最終使得景觀建筑師、賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)教職員工及學(xué)生，以及廣大公眾都有機(jī)會(huì)共同參與到這一真正意義上的“生態(tài)景觀系統(tǒng)”中去。該項(xiàng)目的景觀設(shè)計(jì)師們與賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)教職員工及學(xué)生代表共同對(duì)以下幾個(gè)方面做了積極而深入的監(jiān)測(cè)——項(xiàng)目場(chǎng)地進(jìn)出雨水的數(shù)量和質(zhì)量；對(duì)項(xiàng)目系統(tǒng)程式化運(yùn)作起到支持性作用的土壤的生物性質(zhì)、多樣性、演變過(guò)程、碳穩(wěn)固性、養(yǎng)分循環(huán)以及土質(zhì)本身；植栽材料的健康狀況（即生長(zhǎng)與根部發(fā)育狀況）及其對(duì)土壤水分的蒸散量；灌溉水源獲取及再利用系統(tǒng)的運(yùn)行性能及效率；人們對(duì)該綠地使用頻率的跟蹤監(jiān)測(cè)；生態(tài)關(guān)聯(lián)性和人們對(duì)于綠地景觀的感知與體驗(yàn)——從而將促成賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)關(guān)于綠化環(huán)境維系方面的長(zhǎng)久性校規(guī)的出臺(tái)。對(duì)于項(xiàng)目場(chǎng)地性能的精心設(shè)計(jì)與持續(xù)性監(jiān)測(cè)將有助于未來(lái)大學(xué)校園的景觀設(shè)計(jì)，同時(shí)也有助于對(duì)美國(guó)國(guó)家可持續(xù)性景觀設(shè)計(jì)指南和建筑規(guī)范的修訂產(chǎn)生積極的影響。

 

↑ Dramatic Views
The Shoemaker Green project has transformed an underused and under-appreciated corner of the campus into a harmonious urban park with dramatic views of the University of Pennsylvania’s most iconic athletic facilities.
優(yōu)美的景致
休梅克綠地項(xiàng)目將校園內(nèi)一處未得到充分利用的荒廢角落改造成和諧嫻靜的都市公園，在賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)最具標(biāo)志性的運(yùn)動(dòng)設(shè)施襯托下形成了優(yōu)美的景致。
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon

 

↑ Site Plan
The design of Shoemaker Green creates a large, semicircular central green that is framed by sweeping, ADA accessible pathways, a large rain garden, a historic War Memorial, and several academic and athletic facilities with multiple entrances.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
總平面圖
休梅克綠地經(jīng)過(guò)設(shè)計(jì)被打造成了一大片半圓形中央草坪空間，其周邊還配有寬闊的ADA無(wú)障礙道路、大型雨水花園、具有歷史意義的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)紀(jì)念碑以及若干設(shè)有多個(gè)入口的學(xué)術(shù)及運(yùn)動(dòng)建筑設(shè)施。

 

↑ Performance - Based Landscape
The design of Shoemaker Green stems from a systems-based thinking that integrates natural systems with man-made systems to function holistically.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
功能性景觀
休梅克綠地設(shè)計(jì)是源于系統(tǒng)思維，就是將自然系統(tǒng)與人造系統(tǒng)二者有機(jī)結(jié)合起來(lái)，然后打造具有全面功能的休梅克綠地。

 

↑ Beauty is More Than Skin Deep
Designed soils were paramount to the creation of a functional landscape. The site is built over thirty feet of urban fill. Therefore, a large portion of the existing tennis courts were left in-place for sub-surface storage.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
美麗不止在外表（地下土壤設(shè)計(jì)更為重要）
對(duì)于打造具有全面功能的休梅克綠地，地下土壤的合理設(shè)計(jì)更為重要。項(xiàng)目場(chǎng)地原先是一處深達(dá)30英尺的城市土堆，因此，現(xiàn)有的網(wǎng)球場(chǎng)大部分得以原地保留，以形成富有層次感的地下儲(chǔ)水系統(tǒng)。

 

↑ Celebration of Water
A large, two-tiered rain garden sits at the low-point of the site and captures over half of the site’s stormwater runoff. The rain garden is planted with native species that transpire a significant amount of rain water.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
水景營(yíng)造
一座大型雙層式雨水花園位于項(xiàng)目場(chǎng)地的較低空間，可收集場(chǎng)地內(nèi)過(guò)半的暴雨徑流。該雨水花園中種有許多當(dāng)?shù)刂脖�，這樣可幫助大部分雨水蒸發(fā)。

 

↑ Biophilic Connections
The Shoemaker Green project is a respite from the dense, urban setting of Philadelphia and offers a multitude of experiences for users to immerse themselves in nature.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
生態(tài)關(guān)聯(lián)性
休梅克綠地的建造為生活在都市喧囂中的費(fèi)城人提供了暫時(shí)休憩的閑暇之所，這里的多重綠化體驗(yàn)令市民們沉浸在大自然的美好之中。

 

↑ Transitional Space
The Shoemaker Green project is a transitional space between the historic fabric of the campus core and the new, modern spaces of the campus’s eastward expansion.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
過(guò)渡空間
休梅克綠地成為校園中央古老建筑與其東部擴(kuò)建新式現(xiàn)代空間之間的一個(gè)完美過(guò)渡。

 

↑ Artistic Flare
The detailing of the site walls is a wonderful expression of both art and craftsmanship. Granite walls are precisely detailed and fabricated to become social gathering spaces that can comfortably accommodate multiple groups.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
藝術(shù)的光芒
該綠地空間坐人矮墻的細(xì)節(jié)設(shè)計(jì)完美地詮釋了景觀藝術(shù)與墻體砌筑工藝的和諧共融�；◢弾r墻體構(gòu)造細(xì)膩、工藝精湛，將休梅克綠地營(yíng)造成為一處能輕松容納多個(gè)團(tuán)體的社交空間。

 

↑ Memorable Spaces
The social benches of the Palestra Plaza are located to capture the site’s best solar orientation. A bosque of oak trees provide shade during the warmer months while allowing users to bask in the sunlight during the winter months.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
令人難忘的景觀空間
在陽(yáng)光充足的競(jìng)技廣場(chǎng)上，擺放著許多可供多人落坐的景觀長(zhǎng)椅，人們?cè)谶@里可以盡情享受陽(yáng)光的親撫。橡樹(shù)叢在溫暖的時(shí)節(jié)里灑下斑駁的樹(shù)影，在蕭瑟的寒冬里亦可使人沐浴在燦爛的陽(yáng)光中。

 

↑ Social Gathering Spaces
Loose tables and chairs are located outside of the café space allowing users to arrange their own spaces while enjoying lunch or a cup of coffee.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
社交空間
咖啡館外隨意地?cái)[放著桌椅，人們可以根據(jù)自己的喜好自由挪動(dòng)這些桌椅，在愜意的視覺(jué)環(huán)境中盡情享受午餐與咖啡時(shí)光。

 

↑ Architectural Expression
The main entrance wall is a series of monolithic granite segments that transition from a curb to a retaining wall as the grade falls away. The precisely detailed wall slips between a retaining wall and a seat wall along the western edge.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
建筑表現(xiàn)
綠地主入口處的墻體由一系列碩大的花崗巖塊砌筑而成，并根據(jù)原有地形坡度的高差從路緣石邊緣逐步過(guò)渡成擋土墻。沿著綠地西側(cè)邊緣砌筑的墻體造型獨(dú)特，在擋土墻與坐人矮墻之間轉(zhuǎn)換角色。

 

↑ Historic Context
The design of Shoemaker Green celebrates the historic fabric of the campus while introducing a 21st Century interpretation of the campus standards. The War Memorial is shown in the foreground with the Palestra in the background.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
歷史背景
休梅克綠地的設(shè)計(jì)建造具有歷史意義，即為校園內(nèi)的古老建筑營(yíng)造良好的綠化環(huán)境，又為校園景觀標(biāo)準(zhǔn)提供21世紀(jì)的全新解讀。以競(jìng)技廣場(chǎng)為背景的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)紀(jì)念碑莊嚴(yán)地矗立在那里，見(jiàn)證了校園的歷史。

 

↑ A Place of Respite
Shoemaker Green affords spectacular long views across the main green transforming this once underused site into an iconic green space.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
休閑空間
休梅克綠地將原先未得到充分利用的校園場(chǎng)地改造成標(biāo)志性綠地休閑空間，其目的在于營(yíng)造出廣闊的綠化視角。

 

↑ Urban Context
The aesthetic of Shoemaker Green expresses a new sensibility toward ecological design all within the context of an urban setting.
Photo Credit: Barrett Doherty and Andropogon
都市紋理
休梅克綠地的美學(xué)意義在于它完美表現(xiàn)了都市環(huán)境中的生態(tài)設(shè)計(jì)所具有的全新意義。

 

Introduction

Shoemaker Green is a 2.75-acre site located immediately east of 33rd Street between Walnut and Spruce Streets. The project transformed an existing site with aging tennis courts, narrow pathways, and obstructed views of a historic War Memorial into a cherished public amenity for West Philadelphia. The design draws on the character of Penn’s College Green to create a familiar feel while seamlessly integrating adjacent building entrances, pathways, curbs, and steps across a steeply sloping site. The completed green is a vital component of the University of Pennsylvania’s primary east-west pedestrian system, connecting the central campus to the athletics precinct, and serving as the focal point of Penn’s eastward expansion. The site is bordered by the University’s most iconic athletic facilities, the Palestra Fieldhouse and Franklin Field, and serves as the “front yard” to these historic structures. The project sets a benchmark for sustainable campus design, earning two-stars from the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES™).

The green is organized around a central, semicircular lawn and a large rain garden, bordered by precisely-detailed stone retaining walls and elegantly-graded pathways. The green integrates with and extends the existing campus circulation system by utilizing the University’s landscape standard materials and treatments, but with a modern sensibility. Seating is provided by large, multi-leveled granite seat walls, welcoming visitors with comfortable Black Locust wood insets. Café tables and chairs, as well as free-standing benches typical of the Penn campus, offer flexible gathering spaces throughout the site. High-efficiency lighting provides safety at night, while heightening the sense of place by beautifully illuminating the historic architecture.

 

Site Analysis

The design of Shoemaker Green began with an in-depth site assessment to methodically review and understand the space’s history, context, ecological structure, and functional capacity. The design was sensitive to the needs and requirements of site users, born of a long appreciation of the nature of Penn’s population and their needs and preferences over the hours and seasons that the green would be occupied. A diverse stakeholder group, including representatives from within the University, Philadelphia agencies, and the design community, refined the final design through a rigorous design review process.

 

Site Program

Shoemaker Green caters to a program of mainly passive recreation, but the site can adapt to accommodate events and activities at multiple scales. This park has met the demand for new open space in the historic athletics precinct to host a myriad of uses, many of which had not previously existed on campus. The green now graciously supports a wide range of different-sized events, including large, key campus moments such as graduation and convocation, international events like the Penn Relays, and new programming such as outdoor classrooms, movie nights, concerts, and fairs.

 

Transitional Space

Shoemaker Green provides a transition from the historic fabric at the core of campus to the more contemporary new open space developments of the PennConnects Master Plan along the Schuylkill River. The green continues the Locust Walk/Smith Walk corridor, referencing landscape elements of Penn’s historic College Green while introducing new design elements that reflect the importance of sustainability and ecologically sensitive landscape design.

 

Systems-Based Thinking

Shoemaker Green has created a functional landscape that provides eco-system services in addition to satisfying the programmatic requirements set forth by the University. The site functions much like a kidney capturing ninety-five percent of the site’s rainwater through an integrated landscape system that includes the conveyance, filtering, and storage of stormwater for reuse as irrigation. Additional water is provided from roof runoff and air conditioning condensate from the adjacent buildings.

The design of Shoemaker Green stems from a systems-based thinking that integrates natural systems (soils, plants, insects, birds and human beings) with man-made systems (building components and infrastructure) to function as a whole. The design has a two-pronged approach to manage the site’s stormwater. The first strategy is to convey stormwater runoff to a large, two-tiered rain garden that contains designed soils and native plant species to manage, filter, store, and transpire a significant amount of stormwater. A second approach is to collect stormwater runoff from the site, as well as runoff from the roof and condensate from adjacent buildings, and release the water into the soil under the main green. This water is cleaned while percolating through the designed soils as it makes its way to a large storage bed several feet below the green. A large portion of the existing tennis courts were left in-place under the main green to support a recycled aggregate storage bed. Any excess water that is not taken up by the soils and plants is captured in this bed through an underdrainage system and conveyed to a large cistern and stored for reuse. Once the entire system reaches full capacity, very large storms overflow to the existing municipal sewer line preventing flooding.

During construction, all existing materials were recycled or upcycled. Contractors were educated about installing non-traditional stormwater infrastructure; specifically, the importance of working with soils and plant material. Detailed coordination of construction activities and sequencing was paramount to the importance of the successful implementation of this project. Stringent testing and documentation were required by both the Philadelphia Water Department and SITES™.

 

Site Monitoring

Shoemaker Green has become what green infrastructure seldom is: a monitored, high-performance landscape that captures, filters, and effectively delivers clean water back to the environment. A five-year monitoring plan has been developed to allow landscape architects, University of Pennsylvania faculty, students and staff, and the general public to interact with a truly “living system.” The following aspects of the project are being actively monitored by the project landscape architects, faculty, and students, and will shape University policy for years to come: Stormwater quantity and quality entering and exiting the site; Soil biology, diversity, evolution, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and capacity to support programmed activities; Robustness (growth and root development) and evapotranspiration rates of the plant material; Performance and efficiency of the irrigation capture and reuse system; Behavior mapping to track people’s use of the site; and, Biophilic connections and people’s perception and experience of the green. The design and ongoing monitoring of site performance will help inform future University landscape design and help influence national sustainable landscape guidelines and building codes.

 

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