CINCINNATI STATE LOW IMPACT DESIGN CAMPUS GATEWAY

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC) serves nearly 20,000 students each academic year through its more than 100 programs and majors. In 2009, the college recognized a need for a more sustainable storm water program. Woolpert, working with the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC), helped design an array of green storm water controls located throughout CSTCC’s campus. Funded through a Part 1 Concept grant, the objective of the campuswide project was to reduce overall site runoff by an average of 10 million gallons a year.

The design separated the campus into hydrologic subunits featuring pervious and impervious paving materials and downspouts that drain to a set of linked rain gardens, bioswales, stair drains and rain gardens, creating a multiplier effect as water collects in the lower portions of the BMP treatment trains.

As part of the overall project, Woolpert also proposed improvements to the gateway entrance, user functionality and landscape aesthetics of both parking lots that serve CSTCC. Flow issues resulting from the close proximity of the parking lot and garage entrances and major congestion caused by poorly functioning drive alignments were also addressed.