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An adaptive reuse
project, the building that now houses the Philadelphia Police Forensic
Science Center was once the Mary Channing Wister School, attended by
famous comedian Bill Cosby. The building dates from 1929 and is a
beautiful specimen of “Art Deco” architecture. It stood abandoned for 15
years before the transformation of the site.
Before site
improvements, the 3-acre site consisted only of impervious surfaces,
which generated 2.5 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually. The
pavement surrounding the building was cracked and birds inhabited the
building’s weathered interior.
This project, completed
in July 2003, marks the first green building commissioned by the City of
Philadelphia and serves as a model for future capital improvement
projects in the City. The site is also a demonstration site for
stormwater management techniques.
Capturing runoff before it flows into an already-overloaded
combined sewer system is of paramount importance within the City.
Stone-filled infiltration trenches, a low-maintenance BMP, were
constructed to capture stormwater runoff. Vegetated swales also were
constructed along the parking lot to infiltrate stormwater and to filter
common pollutants. For a landscape planting schedule and diagrams of
planting techniques, please click
here. For an accompanying site plan incorporating native Pennsylvanian
plantings, click
here. For a detailed list of seed mixes used in this project, please click
here.
The incorporation of
BMPs at the Philadelphia Forensic Science Center site has reduced
impervious surfaces by about 30%. In addition, 95% to 100% of the
site’s stormwater runoff is now treated by the constructed BMPs. |
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Glen Abrams
Sustainable Stormwater Program Manager
Philadelphia Water Department
Office of Watersheds
1101 Market St., 4th floor
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-685-6039
glen.abrams@phila.gov
Commissioner
Department of Public Property
Philadelphia City Government
215-686-4030 |
