UMass Southwest Concourse
Amherst, MA

The Southwest Concourse revitalization project is a comprehensive renewal of the largest residential area on the UMass Amherst campus. The project has significantly improved the quality of life for the most densely populated area of the School. Comprehensively, the paving to planting ratio on the site was completely inverted. The complete reconstruction of the pedestrian core included infrastructure and utility upgrades that provide an increase in the overall energy efficiency of the campus. The on-site stormwater management in the form of bioswales and infiltration gardens were inspired by regional ecology and cultural history related to the floodplain, interval meadows, and agricultural fields of the Connecticut River Valley, and pioneered the removal of conventional stormwater piping. The scale and diversity of a primarily native plant palette of trees, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers was the first installation of its kind on campus. Overall, the project fosters a sense of environmental ownership among the students, and creates a new model for sustainable growth and development for future projects at UMass. 

Recognition
BSLA | Award for Excellence 2012
SCUP | Award of Excellence 2014

Collaborators
SEA Consultants
Pine and Swallow Environmental

Photography
Ngoc Doan