ASLA Professional Awards 2023

 My favourite from this year's ASLA Honour awards is the University of Arizona Environment + Natural Resource II Project. The project's design reflects the Arizona landscape of canyons and mesas and utilises rainwater harvest to combat the arid topography. Like the rest of the world, Tucson is facing increasing temperatures and less precipitation. Coupled with their originally extreme climate, this project is an example of successful green innovation in the architectural design disciplines. 

Each floor of the building is cooled throughout the summer through evapotranspiration and the thread of water between the levels. The difference in temperature can be 15-20 degrees (f) cooler than an adjacent space. A five-story water harvesting system irrigates the landscape with reclaimed water from the site and adjacent buildings. And the design features underground storage tanks that can capture 260,000 gallons of condensate and runoff per year. The flowing water between the floors is channelled through steel funnels, on its way to storage. 

The plants in the design are native and climate-adapted and are integrated into planters and building walls to create a diverse wildlife habitat to encourage pollination and cleanse water as it moves through the site. It is also arranged to optimize biomass and minimize maintenance. Creating a multi-dimensional vertical ecosystem, with ferns and mosses located in deep shade, while the Arizona native sun-loving plants on higher levels, and vines cascading down from each terrace into the full-height open courtyard.

Above is their diagram for Rainwater Harvesting and Climate Mitigation

Site Plan