New Social Networks for Designers of the Built Environment

Based on the recent cover story in Fast Company, Ning, the custom social network site, is growing exponentially. While searching their database of networks, I have found two for those interested in the built environment. They include CitySkip and Land8Lounge. The first is more focused on the city landscape and the second is a lounge for landscape architects. I highly recommend checking them out.

Integral Stormwater Design Part 3: John Paul Jones Arena

As a part of our February 2008 update, we included photos of the John Paul Jones Arena (365,000sf, 15,219 seats), a part of the University of Virginia campus. I am impressed with the integrated alternative stormwater management system. The site slopes from the parking lot to the front of the buildings. The water in the parking lot is diverted to narrow bioswales between each parking bay where it is then collected and distributed to bioretention areas buffering the large entry plaza. A series of walks cut through the system and wonderful stone design features are used to channel the water to a large vegetated swale with stone check dams. The swale is planted with tall native grasses. The water is then conveyed into a long terraced stone channel that eventually delivers any water not infiltrated into the soil to a large detention facility. The $129.9 million project was led by VMDO Architects. The landscape architecture firm, Siteworks and Nitsch Engineering were responsible for the stormwater design. According to Nitsch Engineering’s website the landscape needed to “reflect the goals of the regional stormwater management study for Meadow Creek”.