Contractors:

Featherstone, Inc.,BMS Contractors, Inc.

Engineer:

Fountain Technologies, Ltd.

Category:

Communications

Most professionals implicitly understand the importance of preserving natural resources, yet teaching the public how to “go green” can be a challenge. The second-place winning exhibit at Chicago’s 2006 “Garden in a City” show, Eco-Street creatively communicated to the public how a few simple changes in materials and layout can turn an ordinary city street into a sustainable landscape. Every aspect of this live, life-sized streetscape utilized green building practices without scrimping on pedestrian-friendly features.

The landscape architect created and executed the design, construction and documentation of the hardscape, plantings and signage. The exhibit was fashioned to demonstrate storm-water management, showcase native plantings and highlight energy conservation along with clever use of recycled materials. Educational signage featured clear, vibrant graphics that quickly conveyed to visitors this environmentally friendly and forward-thinking vision of a sustainable urban condition. Signs helped visitors understand the multiple ways the exhibit helped conserve water, air, land and energy, with special attention given to the display’s use of recycled content. Techniques illuminated by the exhibit included the use of low-impact development systems (LID), to alleviate the problems caused by combined sanitary-storm sewers in cities like Chicago. Drought-tolerant native vegetation was also highlighted, showing that it can remove many of the contaminates found in urban runoff.