systems

12.02lecture
PostedonDecember9,2011

Lastsemester,IdesignedawastewaterrecyclingcenterformystudioprojectsitedatShuckoeBottom,Richmond.
Becauseofthis,IwasparticularlyinterestedduringthelecturewhentheSidwellFriendsschoolwasmentioned.
WhileIwasinhighschool,oneofmyclasseshadtakenafieldtriptoseeSidwellFriendsandlearnmoreabout
theirsustainablearchitecturalpractices.Irememberedthattheschoolhadincorporatedaninterestingsystem
whichallowedthemtodealwithbothwastewaterandstormwateronsite,andIwantedtoresearchthatabit
more.

sidwellfriendsdiagram

Atthefrontoftheschool,liesaterracedwetlandgardenplantedwithvariousindigenousplants.Thisgardenalso
functionsaspartofthewastewatertreatmentforthebuilding.
AllofthewastewaterfromtheMiddleSchoolbuildingisprocessedinamultistepsystemthat
incorporatesavarietyofecologiestoproviderobust,diversetreatment.Systemcomponents
includeapassiveprimarytreatmenttank,followedbyaseriesofterracedsubsurfaceflow
constructedwetlandcells,arecirculatingsandfilterandtricklingfilter,whicharealltightly
integratedintothecourtyardslandscape.Thewetlandisasubsurfaceflowtype,asopposedtothe
surfaceflowtype,whichreducesoreliminatesodorandpreventscontactwiththewater.All
waterflowsbeneathlayersofplantedgravelsothatnosurfacewaterisexposed.Avarietyof
nativeandlocalwetlandsplantsprovidenotonlyaestheticbeauty,butplayhostamongtheirroots
toawidediversityofmicroorganismsthathelpbreakdowncontaminantsfromthewater.The
tricklingfilterandsandfilterprovidefurtherpolishingandreductionofnutrientssuchas
nitrogen.
fromhttp://www.sustainablesites.org/cases/show.php?id=27
WastewateratSidwellFriendsisallowedtoflowthroughthecourtyardforthreetofivedaysbeforeenteringa
storagetank.Thiswateristhenabletobereusedforthingswhichdonotrequirepotablewater,suchastoilet

flushing.
Thewetlandsystemwillreceiveupto3000gallonsperdayandthehighqualityreclaimedwater
isrecycledintothebuildingforreuse.Anyunusedwaterpassivelyoverflowsascleanwaterback
tothemunicipalsystem.
fromhttp://www.sustainablesites.org/cases/show.php?id=27
ThesystemIimplementedinmygreywaterrecyclingcenterseemstobesimplerbutsimilartothesystemat
SidwellFriends.Inmybuilding,Ionlypassedthegreywaterthroughasandandgravelfilterbeforepassingit
downtothestoragetankforusetowatertheterracedinteriorcourtyardvegetableandplantgardenthrough
subsurfaceflow.ThesystematSidwellFriendsconsistsofthepassivetreatmenttank,terracedgardens,andthen
therecirculatingsandandtricklefilter.OnethingIcouldhavedevelopedmoreinmyprojectthattheydoat
SidwellFriendswashowtodealwithexcesswater.AtSidwellFriends,thecleanwaterisallowedtopassively
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overflowintothemunicipalsystem.Ihadinitiallywantedtheextrawaterfrommybuildingtooverflowintothe

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nearbyJamesRiver,buthadnotfullyresearchedthatconcept.

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NotonlydoestheSidwellFriendsbuildinghaveitsownwastewatermanagementsystem,butitalsoincorporates
Enteryouremailaddress
astormwatersystemtodealwithstormrunoff.Thissystemconsistsofswales,raingardens,habitatpools,green

roofsandbiofiltration.
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Allsiterunoffisdirectedtotheraingarden,plantedwithnativemeadowspecies,forinfiltration.A
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greenroofalsoreducesrunoffvolumesandimprovesthequalityofinfiltratedrunoff.Toaddress
improvingrunoffwaterquality,theoverlandflowofrunofffrompavedareasisroutedthrougha
stormfiltertoremovesuspendedsolidsandexcessnutrients.Excesswaterfromtheroofandlawn
alsoflowstothecourtyardspond.Someoftheroofrunoffisstoredinanundergroundcistern
whichprovidesadditionalwaterforthepondduringdryweather.Duringheavyrains,excess
waterflowsfromthepondintotheraingarden.Nopermanentirrigationsystemwasinstalled.
fromhttp://www.sustainablesites.org/cases/show.php?id=27
ThewaySidwellFriendsdealtwithstormwaterrunoffismuchmoresophisticatedthanthewayIhadsettledon.
Mybuildingdealtwithrainwaterthesamewayitdealtwithwastewaterbypassingitthroughthesandand
gravelfilterandthenstoringitinthebasement.Theadditionofagreenroofcouldhavehelpedtoslowstormflow
withinthebuilding,butwhileIwasdesigning,Ihadviewedmybuildingassomethingwhichslowedtherunofffor
thesurroundingarea.

spring2011greywaterrecyclingbuilding

IthinkthatifIhadbothlookedatSidwellFriendsasacasestudyandhadmycurrentunderstandingofsystems
whiledesigningmygreywaterrecyclingbuilding,Icouldhavecreatedamoresophisticatedsystem,atleastformy
stormwatercollection,whichmayhaveimprovedmybuilding.

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