PROJECT OVERVIEW
Northwest View
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Timeline
Completed September 2011 |
UMass Project Planner
Ludmilla Pavlova-Gillham |
Designer / Landscape Architect
Stephen Stimson Associates |
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UMass Project Manager
Bruce Thomas |
The $12 million Southwest Concourse renovation is a comprehensive revitalization of a five-acre central pedestrian core, bordered by residential towers, dining halls, and student activity spaces within the 5,000-student Southwest Residential Area.
Sustainability and environmental education themes are integrated throughout the landscape to encourage student interaction. The design incorporates campus and regional design influences to repopulate the landscape with native trees and plantings. Strategic variations in topography promote natural stormwater management, with minimal maintenance required. Together, these features create an aesthetically pleasing, environmentally sustainable Southwest that embodies the Pioneer Valley.
The project received an Award of Excellence for Design by the Boston Society of Landscape Architects in 2012, and an Honor Award of Excellence by the Society for College University Planning in 2014.
HOW IT WORKS
Existing site topography was modified to create a series of sloped, linear channels called bioswales. Bioswales collect, cleanse, and infiltrate stormwater naturally onsite, as opposed to conventional underground sewer systems. The sides and bottom of the bioswales are lined with native vegetation, soil, and rock to filter stormwater and remove harmful pollutants from surface runoff.
After treatment, stormwater is diverted to large basins, which discharge runoff into sewers and waterways. Basins are interspersed throughout the concourse, and also function as congregation areas for students. This stormwater strategy provides ideal growing conditions for trees, gardens, and other plants in the landscape.
FEATURES & BENEFITS
- Sustainably-harvested IPE hardwood decking
- Bioswale design utilizes salvaged granite and recycled stone
- Old concourse – 30% pervious landscape surface, 70% impervious hardscape
- New concourse – 60% pervious landscape surface, 40% impervious hardscape
- Stormwater management plan incorporates rainwater infiltration and porous pavers to reduce offsite discharge
- Runnel water diversion channels, vegetated bioswales, rain gardens, tree box filters, and engineered soils aid in stormwater transport and infiltration, improving site drainage
- Planting strategy utilizes a diverse palette of native plant, shrub, and grass species
- Site infrastructure and utility upgrades provide increased energy efficiency throughout the entire concourse
- Fosters student appreciation for nature within an urban environment
- Energy-efficient concourse lighting design
RESOURCES
Green Building Brochure
Click here to access an interactive green building brochure for the Southwest Concourse Renovation.
Photo Gallery
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IPE Decking |
North View |
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South View |
Southwest Aerial Perspective |
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North Aerial Perspective |
Site Section Diagram |
All images by Charles Mayer Photography, courtesy of Stephen Stimson Associates.
Videos
Southwest Concourse Renovation - Sustainability Made Easy
Articles
- New Project Hopes to Turn Southwest from Concrete Jungle to Urban Oasis – The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
- Southwest Concourse UMass – Studio 2112 Landscape Architecture
- University of Massachusetts Southwest Concourse – Stephen Stimson Associates
- Southwest Concourse, UMass Amherst – Soak Up the Rain (Publication link unavailable)
- New Bioretention Swale Diverts Rain, Preserves Wetlands around UMass Amherst Campus – UMass Amherst News & Media Relations (Publication link unavailable)
- UMass Amherst Completes Nearly 100 Building Projects and Upgrades During a Busy Summer of Construction Activity – UMass Amherst News & Media Relations (Publication link unavailable)
- UMass Southwest Concourse – Crosby Schlessinger Smallridge, LLC (Publication link unavailable)
- University of Massachusetts Southwest Concourse: Designing Stormwater – Stephen Stimson Associates (Publication link unavailable)
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