Douglas County Non-Profit Campus - Roseburg, Oregon

Sensitive environmental issues were incorporated into the overall design of this non-profit campus through the enhancement of the existing wetland as well as through the provision of stormwater bioswales designed to treat runoff from the buildings, roads and parking lot surfaces.

The main bioswale, a central feature of the site, meanders through the campus quad serving as both an educational element informing people about stormwater issues in relation to the surrounding wetlands and an inviting place for peaceful relaxation. As the runoff water flows slowly through the bioswales and into the detention pond, sediments and pollutants settle out and/or are filtered by native and ornamental vegetation planted in the bioswales. Trees and shrubs planted alongside the stormwater system shade and cool the water, thereby minimizing the heat island effect of the asphalt. Crossings over the bioswale also act as weirs, creating pools in the bioswale and providing opportunities for the sediments to further settle.