Landscape Feature Armory Parking Lot Pervious Pavement and Bioswales Purdue University’s Armory building dates back to 1928, when it was rebuilt after a fire, and currently houses several clubs, fundraisers, and other events on campus (including Boiler Gold Rush). Although the asphalt parking lot is not porous, there are concrete strips at the head of two of the three main aisles and a series of bioswales to drain excess stormwater into the ground. During heavy rainfall, stormwater is diverted to the university pond through…
Landscape Feature Band Practice Field Permeable pavement allows water to drain through it, reducing storm water runoff and pollutants. Instead of creating this area using asphalt, Purdue placed permeable pavement to aid in reducing storm water runoff.
Landscape Feature BigBelly Solar compactors BigBelly Solar, a company founded in 2003, took it upon themselves to make a difference in one of the more difficult areas in sustainability; waste and waste collection. Issues that BigBelly Solar witnessed, especially in urban settings, were overflowing trash bins that cluttered street creating pollution and health issues. Another issue was high CO2 emissions from trash collection vehicles that could not keep up with the amount of trash and waste. These smaller trash compactors…
Landscape Feature Bioswale at Bill and Sally Hanley Hall The Bill and Sally Hanley Hall is a three-story addition to Fowler Memorial House, and houses the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. When it was built, Hanley Hall included a bioswale in front of the building on its State Street face, to collect downspout runoff and divert it from the storm sewer. The bioswale includes native plants, such as red twig dogwood and birch trees, and work was completed in 2011. Making the…
Landscape Feature Bioswales at Mann Hall, Discovery Park The bioswales at Purdue Discovery Park were installed during the sixth phase of landscaping work, completed in 2009. Located on the west side of Mann Hall, the bioswales slow and/or eliminate excess stormwater into the sewage system, help maintain the area's hydrological profile, and clean the water off pollutants. The water is receded from the grassy mall area into the bioswale, and it then meanders slowly downhill before it goes into the drain, soaking into…
Landscape Feature Black Cultural Center Bioswales The Black Cultural Center brings together the wonderful diversity of the Purdue community by nurturing and presenting the rich heritage of the African American experience through art, history and cultural understanding. The building’s parking lot was graded so that runoff not infiltrating the porous asphalt (or pervious paving) would collect at a bioswale in the center. The central bioswale is surrounded by impervious concrete pavement to keep debris and particulates from clogging the porous asphalt.…
Landscape Feature Black Cultural Center pervious pavement Pervious pavement is a valuable resource for conservation and water contol in urban areas. It eliminates flooding and water runoff by allowing storm water to sift through the pavement, rather than collect and eventually carry oil and other pollutants into the sewage system. The Black Cultural Center is one of several areas on Purdue campus that uses pervious pavement.
Landscape Feature CityBus Partnership Purdue University has contracted with CityBus, or the Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation, for Purdue students, faculty, and staff to enjoy unlimited, fare-free access to bus services throughout the Greater lafayette area. As of 2011, Purdue riders can board CityBus routes free by simply showing their Purdue photo identification. The partnership provides the Purdue community with alterative modes of transportation rather than using private vehicles, helps reduce congestion and the need for parking on campus,…
Landscape Feature Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Purdue University has four charging stations for electric vehicles, obtained as part of a grant from General Electric in 2010. The charging stations provide infrastructure for students, faculty, and staff to make different choices on transportation options, and assist in cutting our long term emissions. The charging stations have been placed at prominent and well-lit locations, such as the parking garages at University Street and Grant Street, to enable easy access. You can find exact…
Landscape Feature First Street Towers Native Landscaping First Street Towers, completed in 2009, was the first residential native landscaping project on campus. The facility has native plants mixed with traditional varieties (e.g. spring bulbs), but is centered on the native varieties, such as little bluestem grass, prairie dropseed, and deschampsia. The landscaping was accomplished with the active involvement of the Tower residents and managers, who identified various issues to be addressed by the Grounds Crew. The landscape currently being installed (and which…
