Amherst, MA
Crotty Hall is located at the western edge of the UMass campus, adjacent to a wetland that flanks a series of parking lots. The water from this wetland runs into Tan Brook and is then quickly culverted under the campus until it emerges into the iconic College Pond. Thus, the water from this site has a direct impact on the most visible and symbolic water body on campus. The landscape designed for Crotty Hall, the campus’s first Net-Zero building, cleans and infiltrates stormwater making it one of the greenest buildings on campus. The landscape had a number of constraining factors including a steep grade change, very little open space and a limited budget. Crotty Hall sets a new standard of sustainability for UMass. The project improves the health of the adjacent wetland and Campus Pond by capturing, filtering and infiltrating runoff from the roof. It also provides a valuable demonstration of the beauty and functionality of stormwater gardens, which are designed to work in concert with architecture to improve the environment.
Recognition
Boston Society of Landscape Architects | Merit Award 2018
AIA Western Massachusetts | 2018
Collaborators
Miller Pollin Architecture
Photography
Ngoc Doan