The Crossroads at Robinson Green, Rowan University

The Crossroads at Robinson Green, Rowan University, Main Campus, Glassboro, New Jersey

Marathon has been recently presented with multiple industry awards for Rowan University’s Crossroads at Robinson Green.  The following awards were given for the project:

  • 2017 Finalist for Public Projects Category of the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Awards (GSI), presented by the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) http://gsipartners.sbnphiladelphia.org/awards/
  • 2017 Merit Award from the Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (PA-DE ASLA) Award Committee http://padeasla.org
  • 2017 People’s Choice Award from the Pennsylvania-Delaware Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (PA-DE ASLA) Award Committee http://padeasla.org

The Cross Roads at Robinson Green, transformed five acres of the Rowan University Main Campus, in the middle of Gloucester County, New Jersey from an island of neglected space consisting of turf grass and unused sidewalks to an inviting pedestrian corridor that links the College of Engineering, the College of Education and the College of Fine and Performing Arts to the main pedestrian throughway of the University.  The project created a safe pedestrian friendly space to connect the core areas of the campus together by removing and controlling vehicle and pedestrian interaction from the project area.

The heart of this project centered on reducing stormwater discharge from the project area to aid in reducing stormwater impacts throughout the campus. Marathon accomplished this by designing two bio infiltration swales that collect stormwater from adjacent parking areas and infiltrating it into the ground rather than allowing it to directly runoff into an adjacent stream. Hardscape landscape materials feature reused concrete sidewalk slabs, obtained from demolition of the unused sidewalks in the existing space and left over granite blocks from the construction of academic buildings on campus. Planting materials were selected based on environmental tolerance with emphasis on the ability to sustain high levels of wet/dry cycling that would allow vegetation to flourish in a bio infiltration swale and to withstand the impacts that vegetation experiences from a high volume of pedestrian traffic.

This project was completed in the fall of 2015, since that time planting materials have become established and have thrived since their installation. Students have also taken to the newly developed out door space for a variety of uses including: passive recreation space; outdoor seating; and study areas and use the pedestrian traffic corridor as their primary access for the University’s various academic buildings.

About award ceremony:

The Excellence in GSI Awards Ceremony is the region’s only award that celebrates green stormwater infrastructure projects, the triple bottom line (TBL) benefits of GSI, and the many public and private partners who make these projects successful.

About the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia:

The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) is a non-profit membership organization working to build a thriving, local, and sustainable economy in the Greater Philadelphia region though advocacy, relationship-building, and education. SBN’s members are locally-owned businesses committed to doing well through environmentally and/or socially-focused enterprises. Through their products, services, and/or internal practices, SBN’s members exemplify how business can be a force for good. SBN supports Green City, Clean Waters and its triple-bottom line approach, and through the GSI Partners, SBN is working to maximize the local economic, environmental, and social impact of the plan.

About the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners:

The GSI Partners, a signature program of SBN, is a growing network of local businesses in the green stormwater infrastructure space, from engineers, landscape architects, and green roof companies, to contractors, maintenance firms, and material suppliers. Our 65 members are recognized as industry experts locally, regionally, and nationally. Through advocacy, relationship-building, and education, we are working to advance the local GSI industry and GSI innovation, thereby amplifying the triple bottom line impact of Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters plan. Our efforts are focused on facilitating and incentivizing GSI as much as possible and ensuring that as much of the public and private investments being catalyzed by the plan remain as local as possible.