2018 National Campus RainWorks Challenge - "The Ripple Effect"
The Ripple Effect : Community Cultivated | Regionally Replicated
A multi-disciplinary team from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette made a splash with its storm water management plan. Its plan – entitled The Ripple Effect: Community Cultivated, Regionally Replicated – won the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge in the Master Plan category. UL Lafayette's team placed first out of the forty-nine colleges and universities that participated in the competition. The plan outlines campus “green infrastructure” initiatives. The term refers to processes designed to decrease, slow and filter water that flows into drainage systems from buildings, streets and sidewalks. The team believes that when faced with extensive problems and limited resources, their solutions must provide numerous benefits. They are determined to view expected population and enrollment growth as an opportunity and the impetus to adapt with green infrastructure that will make our community and region more resilient and improve our quality of life.
First place winners of $5,000 include Blair Begnaud(Office of Sustainability G.A., Architecture Graduate Student), Meredith Guidry (Coastal Community Resilience Studio G.A., Architecture Graduate Student), Olivia LaHaye (Louisiana Watershed Center G.A., Civil Engineering Graduate Student) Lauren Lambert (Office of Community Service /Sustainability G.A., Architecture Graduate Student), John Oliver (Coastal Community Resilience Studio G.A., Architecture Graduate Student), Ivy Thibodeaux (Office of Sustainability Undergraduate Intern, Civil Engineering Student), Alex Trahan (Office of Sustainability Intern, Geology Undergraduate Student) with lead faculty advisor Kari Smith (LEED AP, Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Design; Coastal Community Resilience Studio Co-Director, Researcher for Louisiana Watershed Center) and lead staff advisor Gretchen Vanicor (Director of Sustainability and Living Lab)
Project Summary
Our University, and especially our community, is hindered by previous decades of unsustainable development decisions. Grey infrastructure systems cannot adequately handle extreme rain events. Though Lafayette residents have a deep appreciation for nature, our urban areas lack green spaces that could provide eco-services and recreation opportunities. Our team believes that when faced with extensive problems and limited resources, our solutions must provide numerous benefits. We are determined to view expected population and enrollment growth as an opportunity and the impetus to adapt with green infrastructure that will make our region more resilient and improve our quality of life.
The catastrophic flood of 2016 demonstrated that our region is not adequately prepared for the threats we face. However, the flood reconfirmed a deep-rooted trait in our culture – a resilient spirit, eager to collaborate for the greater good. Our goal is to use our campus as a living lab for developing site-appropriate green infrastructure strategies, and then engage our community and region to cultivate a ripple effect of resiliency.
The EPA award brings more than a pat on the back for a job well done. For its win, the University received a $5,000 prize. “The money will be put right back into storm water-mitigation related projects, and to support research and education,” Gretchen Vanicor said.
"By using the University to demonstrate green infrastructure and low impact development projects, they will raise awareness and create a norm for the implementation of sustainable storm water management strategies throughout South Louisiana. They will improve water quality in local waterways, encourage ground water recharge, and engage our community and region to cultivate a ripple effect of resiliency. Titled The Ripple Effect, this project’s ambition reaches beyond the borders of its own campus. Located in low-lying Southern Louisiana, the community of Lafayette often experiences extreme weather events that cause flooding and threaten infrastructure. With the support of the university’s Department of Sustainability, the team redesigned their campus to incorporate realistic, replicable green infrastructure practices that engage with the broader community to cultivate regional resiliency." - EPA Rainworks Challenge