As part of Duke University’s 200-acre global campus in Kunshan, China, the 30-acre first phase of Duke Kunshan University Campus includes five buildings that sit atop a manmade lake and are interconnected by low bridges and seasonal plazas.
The plazas are submerged underneath the water and are only revealed and usable during periods of low rainfall, which coincides with peak student attendance. A four-acre water ecosystem is the central landscape element of the new campus and includes a stormwater management system with point-source water filtration, roof gardens, rain gardens, living water gardens, greywater capture, and aquatic habitat creation.
"The entire water filtration system serves as an ecological education lab with a flowing water garden located at the end,” said Kevin Vogel, PE, Partner and Civil Engineer with LandDesign, in a release. "The design also addresses scalable energy alternatives to correspond with the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment for carbon neutrality.”
Primary gathering spaces feature movable benches, planters, and sculptures in order to accommodate large events, art installations, and social/learning space. Gensler is the project’s architect while LandDesign is handling landscape architecture and civil engineering duties.
Related Stories
| Jun 3, 2013
Construction spending inches upward in April
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, 0.4 percent above the revised March estimate of $857.7 billion.
| May 20, 2013
Jones Lang LaSalle: All U.S. real estate sectors to post gains in 2013—even retail
With healthier job growth numbers and construction volumes at near-historic lows, real estate experts at Jones Lang LaSalle see a rosy year for U.S. commercial construction.
| Apr 30, 2013
Tips for designing with fire rated glass - AIA/CES course
Kate Steel of Steel Consulting Services offers tips and advice for choosing the correct code-compliant glazing product for every fire-rated application. This BD+C University class is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 2, 2013
6 lobby design tips
If you do hotels, schools, student unions, office buildings, performing arts centers, transportation facilities, or any structure with a lobby, here are six principles from healthcare lobby design that make for happier users—and more satisfied owners.
| Mar 14, 2013
25 cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings
Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago top EPA's list of the U.S. cities with the greatest number of Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
Building Enclosure Systems | Mar 13, 2013
5 novel architectural applications for metal mesh screen systems
From folding façades to colorful LED displays, these fantastical projects show off the architectural possibilities of wire mesh and perforated metal panel technology.
