UAH, Huntsville, AL
After the tornados of 2011, the University of Alabama at Huntsville designed the Severe Weather Institute Radar and Lightning Laboratory (SWIRLL) building so scientists could study storms in more detail.
The building sits at true north on the site and the main foyer windows and staircase were designed to look like a tornado. Bostick Landscape Architects (BLA) followed suit with the plaza and landscape design with perennial and shrub plantings which radiate the pattern. BLA designed the planting beds to be the debris field from a tornado only BLA replaced debris with beauty and hope from the plantings. Careful placement of the trees allows an unencumbered view of the approaching weather from the Southwest area. Ornamental grasses along the southern end of the building will pick up on the wind's movement as storms approach, reinforcing the project's mission.
The Green Building Certification Institute awarded a LEED Silver rating for the building and site. BLA designed the irrigation to reduce water consumption by 70% over traditional watering methods through soil moisture and weather sensors.