Rain from the roof of Syme Hall nourishes a rainwater garden by channeling through a natural filtration process. 

Melissa Miklus , a former graduate student in landscape architecture, worked on the project in 2010.  Generally when it rains, water collects pollutants as it runs over rooftops.

“[When] it rains, the water runs off of the roof. There’s asphalt and shingles, and it collects pollutants as it runs over the roof and down into a gutter, and goes directly into streams,” Miklus said. “There are fish habitats and other edge habitats that are being affected by these pollutants.”

The rain garden project at Syme Hall channels the rainwater through a natural filtration process so the water is not as polluted when it goes back into the earth, according to Miklus .

Based on the results of University Housing’s landscape survey, students feel there could be more locations on campus that are visually pleasing.

Barry Olson, associate director of University Housing, and Andy Fox, assistant professor of landscape architecture, have teamed up on the project. They hope to work together to develop long-range landscape project planning, according to Olson.

“Our partnership allows us to work through the details of completing a project each summer for the next five summers,” Olson said.

The project is not aimed at boosting the aesthetic qualities of campus landscaping per se, according to Fox.

“It’s more of an infrastructure project,” Fox said. “It’s not really landscape as beautification, that’s not what we do.”

The landscape architecture discipline is an interface between architecture, engineering and environmental application, according to Fox.

One of the main goals is the focus on low-impact development, an effort that helps protect the environment from manmade structures.

“[Low impact development] is a process where we try to get rain water to do what it would do naturally,” Fox said. “We want to get water out of the pipe and into the ground in an interesting and restorative way.”

Students will have some help with the project as several departments are slated to work together.

“We’ve got experts on campus, such as Bill Hunt in environmental architecture engineering, who are nationally renowned low-impact development engineers. N.C. State has really got a foothold in the [low-impact development] approach,” Fox said.

University Housing has budgeted $30,000 per year for the five-year project. The money will come from capital project planning.

“University Housing is a receipts-generated operation, so it’s not to be money that we’re putting towards this,” Olson said. “It just allows us to further our goals of addressing landscape issues.”

Adam Grossman, a freshman in political science, said he agrees with the focus on infrastructure.

“People would like to see flowers and whatnot, but the focus should be on purifying rainwater,” Grossman said. “It could look good for the College of Design.”

However, with more budget cuts looming and recent tuition increases, Grossman believes the $30,000 per year could be allocated to more pressing matters.

“Gardner Hall has leaking window air units and other buildings have mold problems. I would say [dorm landscaping] is not a top priority right now,” Grossman said.

A project completed in the summer of 2010 is an example of the work landscape architecture students are capable of. Under the direction of Fox, students built the rain garden at Syme Hall.

Fox said he hoped students would gain from the hands-on experience of designing and installing landscape features.

“[The students] are learning how to manage time, materials and costs,” Fox said. “[These are] all the things that need to be refined skills in order [for students] to be effective employees when they get out.”

As for the new project, students at the College of Design have myriad responsibilities.

“[At the University housing office] we will work with students in site selection and investigation, as well as walking through the students’ methodologies and plans, and ultimately the completion of the project,” Olson said.

Discussion is still underway to determine which and how many dorms will be worked on.

Students who participate in the project will receive course credit.

“The design piece is a six hour, ten week studio; both sessions of the summer,” Fox said. “We [will] see each other a lot.”

Instructors and students in the College of Design are responsible for the entire project. No private contracts are to be given unless students do not have the resources to complete a certain aspect of the project, according to Olson.

“The focus of these projects are to engage the students in actually completing a project from start to finish,” Olson said.

Although space is limited in the summer class, especially to those outside the College of Design, Fox is happy to discuss the project with students. Students who have questions about the project are invited to email Professor Fox at andrew_fox@ncsu.edu.