Community College Uses Green Roof on New Building
WILDWOOD, Mo. — A new campus for St. Louis Community College will feature an $18 million building that designers hope will receive LEED gold certification, thanks to several green design features, including a green rooftop designed with drought-tolerant plants.
The 66-acre Wildwood campus will help address rising student enrollment at the college, where no new construction has occurred since 1965.
The 73,000-square-foot red brick and cast stone structure is part of the first phase of the campus construction and will feature two- and three-story wings with asymmetrical, concentric barrel vaults that form a central atrium.
The green roof is planted with sedum — a perennial plant of the orpine family typically found growing on walls and rocks — and is accessible from the atrium. The sedum will reflect heat from the summer sunlight and help insulate the building in the winter. In addition, a light-reflecting membrane will be applied to any areas of the roof where the plant does not grow.
Other sustainable features include two- and three-story cisterns at the college’s entrance that will collect rainwater for irrigation; waterless urinals and drought resistant landscaping; an east-west solar orientation to use sunlight for heating, cooling and natural light; and a retention pond.
Approximately 75 percent of the building is capable of harvesting natural light. It features electric lighting that automatically adjusts depending on the amount of natural light, T-shaped windows with sunscreens and interior light shelves, and energy efficient ceiling fans that will help distribute cool air and enhance ventilation.
The upper floors of the building have 25 classrooms, a science lab, an art studio, computer labs and faculty offices. Two parking areas will provide 560 parking spaces, and all St. Louis County residents will have access to the campus.
Wm. B. Ittner Inc., headquartered in St. Louis , is providing architectural services for the project. St. Louis-based KWAME Building Group is the program manager, and L.A. Schafer of Chesterfield, Mo., is the construction manager for the project.