Starting from Scratch
The Global Institute of Sustainability and
School of Sustainability opened at the
Arizona State
corner of University and College avenues in
a building that formerly housed the College
of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation. Previ-
University
ously described as a dreary chicken coop,
the design concept called for a complete
renovation that incorporated a number of
Tempe
energy-effi cient elements, including a green
wall system that helps cool the interior,
clean the air and improve aesthetics. (For
more information about benefi ts of green
WRITTEN BY JAMES SABLE
>>
Arizona State University’s
walls, visit
greenroofs.org/index.php/
School of Sustainability in Tempe is one of the nation’s about-green-roofs/2577-aboutgrnroofs.)
fi rst universities offering sustainability-focused education.
The goal of the design was to reduce
As such, it recently completed a full redesign of a 1960s-
energy use and create a pleasant work-
era campus building to house the School of Sustainability.
ing environment while adding a modern
aesthetic on campus. “The project team
Opened in 2008, ASU’s School of Sustainability focuses
initially worked with a group of graduate
on educating and developing practical solutions to some
students to brainstorm sustainable features
of the most pressing environmental, economic and social to include in the design,” explains Richard
challenges of sustainability, especially in urban areas.
Lemon, building/special projects manager
The environmentally conscious school also focuses on
for the Global Institute of Sustainability.
incorporating green design into its architecture.
“We particularly loved their suggestion to
feature green walls because the wire
trellising system will contribute to energy
savings while also creating a unique
exterior element.”
Lessons in
Going Green
To obtain more natural light, the exterior
brick on the west façade was removed to
create an open lobby area on the third and
fourth fl oors. The brick was replaced with
a 3-D, welded wire trellising system, which
functions as shading while providing
natural light, airfl ow and outdoor views.
The ground fl oor also features a
freestanding green wall that divides a
neighboring parking area from the breeze-
way visitors use to enter the building. This
installation controls views to the parking
area and creates shade for a small courtyard
adjacent to the building. Overall, the green
walls act as nonintrusive natural building
elements that create a captive growing
space for plants to fl ourish and intertwine.
Currently, the green walls installed on the
School of Sustainability feature a variety of
desert-tolerant vines, grasses and fl owers on
the building’s west side. Lemon eventually
plans to incorporate other herbs and fl owers
to brighten the eco-friendly façade. Similar
32 FALL 2009 // RETROFIT MAGAZINE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GREENSCREEN
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