sustainable neighborhood

McDonough + Partners Design URI's Sustainable Neighborhood

Award-winning "green" designer William McDonough has launched a revolution in product and building design by incorporating environmental sensitivities into the design of everything from sneakers to office buildings. Attracted to Area's vision of a sustainable neighborhood in the North District of campus, McDonough + Partners contracted with the University. Ayers/Saint/Gross, BioHabitats, and BetaGroup worked along with McDonough.

McDonough and the team of campus planners, transportation experts, and environmental designers met with URI students, faculty, and officials to seek input into a long-term plan to turn the north district of campus into a demonstration of sustainable development and environmental design.

The environmental neighborhood is bordered by Flagg Road, Upper College Road, Heathman Road, and Alumni Avenue. Buildings, landscapes, and roads in the area will be redesigned or retrofitted to ensure that resources are used efficiently and natural areas are restored and protected. The neighborhood plan incorporates three new buildings, including a center which will showcase the latest in sustainable materials and technologies.

Dean Jeffrey Seemann, Dean of the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences and chair of the URI Sustainable Initiatives Coordinating Committee notes, "Development of an environmental neighborhood is one step toward creating a "a green" campus and enhancing the image of URI as a leader in environmental research, education, and outreach. We want to create a campus on which people, buildings, infrastructure, the landscape, and underlying natural systems are integrated and function in a sustainable way."

McDonough + Partners are creating concept drawings for the new center; the building will house offices, labs, classrooms, and exhibits. It will be open to the public for tours, events, and demonstrations. Funding for the preliminary design of the Center came from a federal appropriation in 1999 with the support of then-Congressman Robert Weygand, who was the co-chairman of the House Democratic Caucus on Livable Communities Task Force.

For more information, visit URI's Office of Strategic Planning and Institutional Research.

Download the URI Sustainable Neighborhood RFQ 2001 in PDF format

 

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