Sustainable Site Development Project
This project involved designing a sustainable public library complex in Noblesville, Indiana, built on the footprint of an existing warehouse. The site plan needed to account for building codes, ADA accessibility, stormwater management, parking circulation, and environmental performance. In addition to the core requirements, the design incorporated unique program adjacencies, including a commercial drive-through, a green roof, and a retention pond—creating a cohesive civic space that balanced community needs, environmental constraints, and real-world zoning considerations.
Technical Insights
Evaluated site conditions, local zoning constraints, and building codes to determine allowable massing, access points, and circulation patterns.
Integrated ADA-compliant pathways, parking, and entry sequences to ensure full accessibility across the site.
Sized and positioned a stormwater retention pond based on runoff calculations and impervious surface distribution.
Developed a green roof strategy that reduced stormwater load, improved energy performance, and aligned with sustainability goals.
Modeled vehicular and pedestrian circulation to avoid conflicts between public use areas and commercial drive-through traffic.
Design Highlights
Converted a warehouse structure into a functional, multi-level library with clearly organized program zones and intuitive circulation.
Positioned the retention pond as both an ecological feature and a visual amenity anchoring the site.
Integrated a commercial drive-through without compromising pedestrian safety or civic identity.
Used landscape buffers, planting zones, and green roof elements to tie together the library, parking, and commercial components into a unified site experience.
Balanced practical constraints—traffic flow, watershed management, accessibility—with a cohesive architectural vision.
challenges and impact
The primary challenge was merging civic and commercial functions on a constrained site while maintaining compliance and safety.
Creating separation between pedestrian routes and high-traffic vehicle paths required multiple layout iterations.
The resulting design demonstrates how thoughtful site planning can combine sustainability, accessibility, and mixed programming without compromising usability or aesthetic quality.
Skills and Tools
Site Planning · Sustainability Design · Stormwater Management · Architectural Layout · Code & Zoning Analysis · ADA Compliance · Environmental Design · CAD / Revit
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