In late summer 2008, the Greenfield Home and School Association commissioned the design team of SMP Architects, Viridian Landscape Studio, and Meliora Environmental Design to lead a community design visioning process to define the goals and priorities for Greening Greenfield.
Students, parents, teachers, alumni, representatives from the School District of Philadelphia and community partners participated in four workshops. The first workshop was scheduled in October 2008, the last workshop took place in March of 2009.
The original goals of the Community Design Collaborative conceptual master plan were discussed and critiqued in the first design vision workshop by five breakout groups who walked the school site, sketched and brainstormed, and presented their ideas to the other participants for feedback.
The importance of the original sustainable objectives was reestablished and further defined in the next three workshops:
Storm water runoff to the Philadelphia combined overflow sewer will be reduced and fully retained on site as much as possible; Meliora Environmental Design has confirmed that Phase 1 of the School Yard improvements will exceed the new standard set by the Philadelphia Water Department of retaining the first inch of storm water on site.
Careful analysis of sun orientation and proposed tree location will maximize solar shading (trees) and the extent of the proposed green roof has been expanded to further reduce the urban heat island effect,
Viridian Landscape Studio analyzed the micro-climates of the school's urban site and found the potential for five landscape zones - the urban forest, the agricultural zone, the rain garden, the shade garden, and the green roof with green house. Local, indigenous, climate appropriate plantings will be selected for each zone that will improve air quality without the need for potable water irrigation, and promote re-inhabitation of the site by birds and butterflies.
Energy will be harvested through the renewable energy source of the sun with photo-voltaic panels and solar water heaters,
Recycled content materials will be specified for the porous paving materials and site furnishings.
