At a Glance
A sustainable building ethic is applied to the world’s first college-level ecology program, resulting in a building that will be ecologically resilient, socially just and economically sound.
Project Description
The University of Georgia’s contributions to the science of ecology date to the 1950s. The Odum School of Ecology, the only free-standing school of ecology in the country, is named for the University’s own ecological pioneer Eugene Odum, who is credited with making the word “ecosystem” a household word. When the need for a new facility to house the School arose, the University hired BNIM Architects and Biohabitats to develop a state-of-the art regenerative design for the building. Its sustainable components included green roofs, green walls, eco-machines for waste treatment, rooftop photovoltaic cells for renewable energy sources, water reuse systems for conservation, native plant landscaping, demonstration areas for sustainable lawn and ground cover tests, organic and container gardening tests and other regenerative design features. Captured rainwater and eco-machine effluent will be used for irrigation and for contributing flow to a stream through the courtyard that demonstrates the connections to the nearby Oconee River and its watershed.
Details
Bioregion
Southeast Atlantic
Physiographic Province
Coastal Plain
Watershed
Stono River
Expertise Areas
Community, Conservation, Infrastructure, Urban Ecology, Water
Owner
University of Georgia
Location
Athens, Georgia, United States
Project Team
- BNIM