Construction began this month on the “Gar Building” green infrastructure project located at 414-416 W. Onondaga Street, Syracuse. This project involves converting a run down parking lot previously connected to the combined sewer to a porous asphalt installation with ornamental landscaping. Shown below is the stone infiltration basin and the base course of porous asphalt being installed are shown below.
Gar Building infiltration basin looking southerly
Construction was completed this month at the JNJ Syracuse restaurant site located at 725 E. Fayette St., Syracuse. The project consisted of porous asphalt to which runoff from the building was directed and added greenspace on site and in the “snow strip” adjoining Forman and E. Fayette Streets.
View of 725 E. Fayette St., looking southwesterly
After 1 year, the extensive green roof at Graham Millworks located at Richmond Avenue in Syracuse is well established. The vegetated roof was planted in place in the Summer of 2013 using sedum plugs. This aerial view was obtained from a nearby building in September 2014. Green roof designed by Natural Systems Engineering, PLLC. Plants and soil supplied by Motherplants, Ithaca, New York.
Aerial view from south of Graham Millworks. September 2014.
The Erie-Bruce Green Infrastructure project located at 2112 Erie Boulevard East in Syracuse consisted of porous asphalt, porous pavers, and two bioretention areas. The site is characterized by sloping topography toward the office building, and clayey soils exhibiting low infiltration. The green infrastructure installed not only achieved the Onondaga County Save the Rain program objectives for retention of stormwater on-site, but did so in a manner that actually alleviated the flooding that sometimes occurred in the building related to storm runoff. Construction was completed in the Fall of 2013. Photos are from late Summer 2014.
Porous asphalt (foreground) and porous pavers (background) at Erie Bruce Green Infrastructure project
The August 29th edition of Short Enterprises‘ “Startup Insider” features Natural Systems Engineering. The article discusses NSE’s contribution to the cleanup of Onondaga Lake through our green infrastructure projects and also presents our work in renewable energy. NSE’s designs of green roof, bioretention areas, porous pavements, stormwater infiltration planters (see photograph), green roofs, and rainwater harvesting systems are featured. NSE’s design of a geothermal heating and cooling system for an urban dwelling is also highlighted.
Stormwater Infiltration Planter
Construction began this week on Onondaga Commons’ latest Save the Rain green infrastructure project, GIF #09. The project consists of the replacement of 17,200 sq ft of formerly impervious surfaces with 15,300 sq ft of porous asphalt and 1900 sq ft of added greenspace. The project will manage over 380,000 gal of stormwater annually. Photograph is of the porous asphalt base following construction.
Porous Base at Former AAA
On April 7, 2014, the team of Spectra Engineering (Syracuse, New York) and Natural Systems Engineering was notified of award for RFP No. 13-3330-002 – Green Project Design Professional Services for Onondaga County, New York. The project will involve the design of “green streets” under the County’s award-winning “Save the Rain” program.
Photo Credit: September 2011 Onondaga County “Save the Rain” newsletter.
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We completed the design for an extensive green roof for the Onondaga Tower building (former HSBC building) located in downtown Syracuse. The project is currently being bid and construction is expected to begin this Spring!
Natural Systems Engineering has been retained by Zip Networks Inc. to design an extensive green roof for the former Inland Supply Building located on Wilkinson Street in Syracuse. The structural evaluation and design services were initiated in March 2014. Project completion scheduled for mid-Summer 2014.
Check out NSE’s blog post on Syracuse Urban Properties. We provide a local pictorial perspective on the recent NRDC report “The Green Edge: How Commercial Property Investment in Green Infrastructure Creates Value.”
