The Whitney Water Purification Facility and Park was completed in 2005 and provides an abundant water supply to south central Connecticut, creates a vibrant watershed ecosystem, and includes a public park while providing a diverse habitat and sanctuary for migrating species of birds.
The facility features the largest green roof in Connecticut (30,000 square feet), zero off-site storm water discharge, expanded wetlands for biodiversity, and is heated and cooled by eightyeight geothermal wells.
The striking design fuses architecture with landscape to form a public park. Water purification facilities are located beneath the park, while the operational programs rise up in a 360-foot-long stainless steel sliver that expresses the workings of the plant below and forms a reflective horizon line in the landscape.
In 2005 the Whitney Water Purification Facility and Park was awarded an Honor Award by the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and in 2001 it was the only American design to receive the Van Alen Institute Award in the International Projects in Public Architecture Competition.
Steven Holl Architects emphasizes sustainable building and site development as fundamental to innovative and imaginative design. Incorporating green roofs, double walls, and advanced mechanical systems, Steven Holl Architects constructed the New Residence at the Swiss Embassy according to Swiss "Minergie Standards," higher standards than the U.S. Council for Green Building's LEED standards for minimal energy consumption.
This 360 foot long steel building, which was designed to look like an inverted water droplet, provides water to southern Connecticut and includes an educational center. The 30,000 square foot green roof contains 900 pounds of grass clippings and 7,000 perennial flowers. No natural habitats were affected by its construction, and the surrounding wetlands, which are home to migrating birds, were actually enlarged during the construction process.
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