Green Building Strategies at the Urban Ecology Center in Riverside Park

Here are some of the ways the Urban Ecology Center's Riverside Park location is meeting LEED rating criteria.  Per their mission statement, they lead by example and offer visitors ideas to make large or small changes in their own lives and buildings.

1) Sustainable Sites

Sustainable site management not only includes landscapes and hardscapes that eliminate runoff, but also construction techniques that limit use of harmful chemicals for maintenance.  As mentioned in the Human Burn post, the UEC's driveway is sloped towards native plant gardens to keep storm water out of Milwaukee's sewer system.  What's more, the plants filter the water before it returns to groundwater stores.

Sustainable Sites

The building's roofing and siding are made from materials that will require little to no maintenance and can all be recycled.  Other exteriors require upkeep with paints and stains that require special disposal, and vinyl siding usually ends up in a landfill.

Encouraging employee use of alternative means of transportation is part of the LEED system.  Employers can subsidize transit costs, provide bike racks and shower facilities, and offer discounted parking fees for carpooling and driving hybrid vehicles.  The UEC's 'Ecobuck' program rewards employees with extra dollars on their paychecks for using sustainable transportation.

2) Water Efficiency

Water Efficiency

Efficient use of treated water and re-use of rainwater are key components of LEED measurements for sustainable buildings.  The UEC uses gray water (water not suitable for drinking) from rain barrels to flush toilets.  Water for hand washing is dispensed through automatic faucets.  Toilets offer a full or half flush (depending on your needs), and urinals in the men's restroom are waterless. 

3)      Energy and Atmosphere

The UEC has designed their building to lower overall energy usage and has implemented sustainable forms of energy production.  All windows in the building can be opened, allowing for natural air circulation.  Hot air escapes high windows, creating a convection current that pulls in cooler air from low windows.  The roof is covered with 256 Kyocera solar electric panels that are expected to produce over 55,000 kilowatt-hours each year.  This eliminates 106,860 pounds (or 53.4 tons) of carbon dioxide that would be produced with fossil fuel based electricity (www.urbanecologycenter.org).  Lights are automatically turned off when not in use.

Energy and Atmosphere

4) Materials and Resources

You don't have to look far to see how the UEC is implementing sustainable purchasing and waste management.  The wood paneling throughout most of the building comes from a sustainable forest in Wisconsin.  The carpeting is made of recycled materials, and it is 100% recyclable itself.  Office chairs came from the Federal Courthouse, and mirrors from the former West Bend company.  The floors are re-used 100-year-old maple, and the porch is made of scraps from the construction of the Atlantic City Boardwalk.  To deal with organic wastes, the UEC has a series of large compost piles down the side of the bluff.  Volunteers can sign up to help manage and in doing so learn about the values of decomposition and nutrient cycling.


The categories above are taken from the US Green Building Councils LEED rating systems.  (www.usgbc.org)