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Narrative Summary
This study, undertaken as an independent research study
by three students, was an effort to develop a new approach to
handling urban stormwater runoff. In creating a new method of
handling stormwater,
the amount of dangerous combined sewer overflows that occur in
Chicago
could be minimized. The students chose an interdisciplinary approach
and formed a project team of two landscape architecture students
and one civil engineering student. Their ultimate goal was to
create an approach to handle stormwater in an environmentally
efficient,
economically positive and aesthetically pleasing manner. Using
Loyola
University’s Water Tower and Lake Shore campuses in Chicago
as study areas, the students designed and modeled an innovative
approach to stormwater management, called the Active Method.
This method employs natural infiltration to increase the time
it takes
runoff to reach the combined sewer; as well as, microbial activity
to attenuate stormwater so that it can be reused on site. The
system benefits municipalities by decreasing the number of combined
sewer
overflows and limiting wastewater treatment costs. Finally, the
system is designed as civic infrastructure responding to the
context of its surroundings and creates a new environmental and
educational
amenity for the community.
Over the course of the semester, the students
were engaged in several activities in an attempt to find an approach
that addresses the
problem. Data collection included student interviews of various
professionals (city officials and wastewater treatment superintendents)
that were involved in wastewater handling and treatment. From
these
interviews, guidelines were developed based on the professional’s
needs to drive the synthesis phase of the project. During this phase,
the students created several iterations of the project’s function
and design. Concurrently, several hydrological models were generated
to evaluate and support the project’s hypothesis. The students
reviewed these iterations with various university scholars in fields
of urban design, soil science; as well as, hydrological and civil
engineering. Finally, after data collection and synthesis, the
students
were able to produce the final solution. The research project and
its application was presented to Facilities Administrators at Loyola
University. Loyola is currently considering building a portion
of
the project so that physical research of the design can be conducted
to ascertain the impact of the stormwater management strategy called
the Active Method.
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