Sustainable landscape master plan for Minnesota college campus

About this project

client
Macalester College
location
Minnesota
cost
$44,000 (Barr's fees)
completion date
2012

Macalester College set a goal to generate zero waste by 2020 and become carbon neutral by 2025. The college hired Barr to create a sustainable landscape master plan to help it achieve these goals. Working with school administrators and with input from students and faculty, Barr created a plan that:

  • guides and informs decision-making about the campus grounds to allow for carbon sequestration, reduce urban heat island effect, and provide outdoor spaces for student use

  • develops a landscape that is attractive, is ecologically sound, does not increase maintenance, and allows for multiple uses

  • addresses stormwater management, plant diversity, soil improvement, and energy efficiency

Large areas of turf were converted to low-maintenance plantings to shade buildings, provide wildlife habitat, clean stormwater, and build soil. Pervious pavement and rain gardens increase runoff-water quality and reuse water for irrigation purposes. The campus plan is currently being implemented and serves as a demonstration of sustainable landscape design principles.

Key team members

Fred Rozumalski

Landscape Architect and Ecologist

Brendan Dougherty

Senior Landscape Architect

Kurt Leuthold

Vice President
Senior Civil Engineer

Matt Metzger

Senior Civil Engineer

Related Other Sectors projects

Stationary-source evaluation for asphalt plants
Pre-acquisition environmental due diligence review
Phase I ESA for copper-nickel project
Siting and permitting for saltwater disposal wells
Ore transportation study
Detailed assessment of phosphorus sources and loading to Minnesota watersheds
Permitting, environmental assessment, and design for copper-nickel mine
Investigation and remediation of jet-fuel release
Routine electrical, controls, and instrumentation support
Preliminary engineering for Mouse River enhanced flood protection project
Geotechnical investigation and design for expansion of ancient gold mine
Electric-energy resource options study
Environmental impact assessment for mountain-bike trail
Scoping study to increase magnetite-concentrate production capacity
Development of sewer plan and update of model
Upper Sheyenne River erosion and sedimentation risk assessment
Water supply sustainability study for City of Rochester
Capture-efficiency testing for ethanol production facility
Study of engineering risks and site feasibility for windpower client
Engineering and design for Universal Studios’ rapids ride
Chemical and biological monitoring of test ponds
Natural resources inventory and stewardship recommendations
Water-quality modeling and mapping for watershed district
Infiltration updates to the Minnesota Stormwater Manual
Geologic modeling and mine-plan development for aggregate quarries
Resource estimates for neodymium-rich rare-earth-element exploration project
Rapid response planning for aquatic invasive species
Environmental review for proposed natural-gas pipeline
Stormwater treatment wetland for Minnesota college arboretum
Assessment and remediation of former dump site on university campus
Updating of Lake Superior chemical source inventory
Upgrade of wastewater treatment system
Environmental liability assessment at manufacturing facility
Environmental review and prefeasibility design for planned uranium mine
Vulnerability assessment of municipal stormwater system
Vulnerability assessment of a city’s aging storm sewer system
Test burn for cofiring coal and biomass
Transmission line EIS
Living-streets planning provides framework for alternative street reconstruction
West Side Flats park and stormwater design
District stormwater management system for redeveloping urban center
Non-segregating tailings deposition study
Modeling and failure risk assessment of a municipal storm sewer system
XP-SWMM model update and calibration for Minnesota watershed
Air permit-to-install strategy and application
Hiawatha Golf Course alternatives analysis and master planning
Identification of wetland restoration opportunities
Fish-habitat and floodplain restoration of a Minnesota trout stream
Watershed management planning for Minnesota watershed district
Site reviews for solar gardens across Minnesota
Removing dissolved metals from roadway runoff using ferric-oxide filtration
Geotechnical deformation and failure modeling of fine tailings capping
Stormwater-management minimal impact design standards and BMP design calculator
Self-contained bog built on college roof
Hydropower facility evaluation and due diligence
Public-space and sustainable stormwater management decision-making framework
Stormwater-development reviews for urban WMO
Natural channel design for aquatic organism passage
Reclaimed mineland offers worldclass mountain biking and economic development
Engineering and design for SeaWorld’s Infinity Falls water ride
Environmental site assessments for future site of mining and processing facility
Condition assessment and options study for hydro facility
One Watershed, One Plan development for southern Minnesota watershed district
EIS preparation and third-party environmental review of transmission line
Resource assessment and permitting assistance for industrial sands facility
Structural monitoring of sanitary sewer line
Environmental support for post-fire cleanup at industrial facility
Groundwater-flow model of the Twin Cities metro area
Geotechnical assistance for mine expansion at Julienne Lake
Development of a citywide GIS-based stormwater management water-quality model
Shoreline stabilization and restoration of Lake Minnetonka’s Big Island
Landscape master plan for Minnesota college campus
Stormwater infrastructure management assistance
Compliance, resource, and process evaluations for potential mining sites
Dispersion modeling at five ethanol production facilities
Evaluating tunnel system pressure
Urban watershed stormwater-development and permit reviews
Ecological residential development design preserves nature and city growth
Redevelopment services for New Brighton Exchange
Energy integration study for waste-heat utilization
Strategic planning for Freeway Landfill
Environmental services for coal-yard decommissioning
Brownfields redevelopment for Mississippi WMO headquarters
Tongue River assessment
Environmental permitting and compliance support for a refinery
AFFF containment upgrades evaluation
Redevelopment of former Mayflower Mine
Water reuse evaluation for zero liquid discharge at manufacturing facility
Redevelopment of former Atlas Cement plant
Expansion-related permitting and review assistance
Installation design for alternative energy facility
Aquifer storage and recovery and water sustainability evaluation and implementation
Study of solar developments on closed Minnesota landfills
Geotechnical investigation of pumped-storage hydroelectric facility
Preliminary geotechnical engineering and geophysical investigation
Geotechnical highwall assessment at Bald Mountain
Seneca solar project geotechnical engineering services
Conceptual development for Coal FIRST initiative
Pre-FEED study for Coal FIRST initiative
Environmental services for cathodic protection facilities in Michigan
Transaction due diligence for oil and gas assets
Creating ESG clarity for a petroleum company
ESG policy review and advisory services
ESG framework for midstream oil and gas company
Mitigation of aerosol impacts from coal combustion
Hydropower facility evaluation and improvement recommendations
Business risk assessment of species at risk in oil sands region
Field review and permitting for pipeline replacement
Environmental field review and MPSC Act 9 support
Solar on reclaimed coal mine, settlement and subsidence risk analysis
Pressure control valve methanol-injection engineering study
UAS topographic data collection for habitat restoration design
City of Minnetonka natural resources management plan
Spring Lake Park Reserve natural resources management plan
Metropolitan Council sustainable landscape guidelines
Sustainable landscape master plan for Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Carbon-evaluation services for new mining facilities
Assessment of PFAS use
Air permitting assistance for pharmaceutical facility
Environmental support for solar power facilities
Desktop study and geotechnical investigation for new wind power site
Great lakes coastal wetland restoration feasibility study
Highland Bridge (Ford Site) green stormwater infrastructure
Bloomington natural resources prioritization and management
Natural resources management plan for recreational area
Pipeline route permitting assistance
Climate adaptation and resiliency plan
Renewable energy development plan
Carbon-capture-system feasibility study
Water discharge permitting for copper-nickel mine
Landslide stabilization protects architectural treasures
Closure and reclamation support for a legacy metals mine