Best Green Project: North Scottsdale Park and Ride
The North Scottsdale Park and Ride is located on a 5.8-acre reclaimed site south of Scottsdale Airport at the end of an active runway. The facility, which includes a 700-sq-ft building, features LED site lighting and pervious concrete pavement, which manages stormwater. The park-and-ride lot qualifies as a net-zero facility, with the photovoltaic panel system producing more energy than the site consumes.
Judges were impressed with the effort spent designing and constructing a project type that is often overlooked, with one suggesting this facility could serve as a prototype for other owners.
Michael Braun of DWL Architects, the project's architect, says the design was the result of the site and the owner's desired outcomes.
"The programmatic elements, the systems and even many of the materials lend themselves well to the development of a prototype transit facility; however, the success of this facility is unique to its location and site," Braun says.
A third of the project site was zoned as the "runway protection zone," meaning no obstructions could be located within its limits.
The decision to install the pervious concrete as an alternative paving surface was based on benefits ranging from space to stormwater retention.
"Pervious concrete allowed for a maximum number of parking spaces on a finite site," Braun says. "Because the material is able to absorb and temporarily store water, it reduced the area needed for retention."
Project designers also opted for pervious concrete to help mitigate the heat island effect, since it is a lighter colored material of lower mass. Another benefit was its promise of greater durability and lower maintenance costs versus other options, such as asphalt. Other amenities include an office area, restroom for bus drivers and storage and support spaces. Judges also hailed the project's canopy designs. The "wing" design features metal shingles—coated with a special finish—that can gently bend, producing an effect that mimics a bird's flashing feathers. The platform's central column shape implies a leg and talon.
Safety also was a highlight, with no lost-time incidents in 65,000 hours worked.
North Scottsdale Park and Ride
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Key Players
General Contractor Balfour Beatty Construction, Scottsdale
Owner/Developer City of Scottsdale
Architect DWL Architects + Planners Inc., Phoenix
Civil Engineer Drew Walker PE, Phoenix
Landscape Architect Drew Walker PE, Phoenix
Civil Engineer Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., Phoenix
Landscape Architect Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., Phoenix
Structural Engineer CH2M Hill, Tempe, Ariz.
Electrical Engineer CR Engineers Inc., Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Mechanical and Plumbing Engineer Smith Seckman Reid Inc., Denver
