For #EarthDay, we would like to recognize the importance of integrating the natural environment with the built environment and reflect on how our work impacts the community and the end users. In planning and designing University of Miami’s Lakeside Village student housing, Arquitectonica and ArquitectonicaGEO collaborated and researched environmentally friendly approaches to providing a resilient future. To achieve LEED Gold certification, the visually striking and sustainable eco-friendly housing community incorporated a series of green and wellness features including complete native and adaptive tropical planting and a number of amenities to enhance campus connectivity and the pedestrian experience including trails, volleyball courts, gyms, wall climbing promote a healthier and resilient environment for students. The result is a vibrant, student-oriented, mixed-use community connected to a natural and sustainable environment. Other green points which helped Lakeside Village reach LEED Gold include: 🍃 60,000 SF of green roofs help reduce solar heat gain and collects rainwater. 🍃 Integrated rain gardens on-grade provide a habitat for native plants and wildlife as they receive rainwater through downspouts collected by the green roofs. 🍃 Biodiversity and ecology design encouraged microclimates on 3 different levels bringing in new species and aiding the comeback of the nearly extinct Atala butterfly. 🍃 At least 100 plants and trees from the 12-acre site were temporary relocated and re-planted on-site and around campus. 🍃 Two monumental staircases were designed and strategically implemented to encourage students to move vertically through its circulation daily. 🍃 On-site stormwater management. #EarthDay2022 #thoughtfuldesign #sustainability #sustianabledesign #resiliency #ecofriendly #sustainableliving #fightclimatchange #wellness #architecture #miami #univmiami #studentlife #um #CanesLiveOn #landscapearchitecture #sustainablelandscape #wellnessbydesign #greeninfrastructure #wildlifeconservation #biophilicdesign #flasla #arquitectonica #arquitectonicageo