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EPA RainWorks Challenge (Completed)

Recent Project Updates

  • 2025 EPA Rainworks Challenge Submission

    5/1/2025

    Students from the Dept of Landscape Architecture, Dept of Civil Engineering, and faculty advisors have submitted to the 2025 EPA Rainworks Challenge. 

  • Proposal for Creation of a Team

    9/22/2022

    Art Schmidt from Civil and Environmental Engineering, reached out to faculty and students urging them to create a team made up of individuals from different disciplines/departments for the Rainworks Challenge.
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Description

The Campus RainWorks Challenge is designed to encourage college and university students to design innovative green infrastructure to manage stormwater on campus. Design themes may center around water reuse, pollution management, and runoff reduction. Teams complete their project through the course of a Fall semester, guided by a faculty member. Two categories of projects are open to submission: Master Plan, a more general approach to making campus water-friendly, and Demonstration, a more acute design that manages stormwater in a specific place or manner. Students of all disciplines are welcome to contribute to their campus project.

Background

The University of Illinois participated in the EPA RainWorks Challenge in 2014, coming in second place for the Master Plan category.

In 2017, students focused on a demonstrative redesign of Parking Lot F4, which is prone to flooding and in consideration for repairs. Green infrastructure included in the students' design includes permeable pavement, a rain garden, bioswale, trees, and a disconnection of pipe drainage from rooftops. Also taken into consideration is the straightening of South Goodwin Avenue after the planned demolition of Burnsides Laboratory. If the design is implemented, it would benefit both drivers and pedestrians who cross its intersection with Peabody Drive.   Students from disciplines such as Civil and Environmental Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Photography, English, and several others have made a contribution to the project. Along with staff and faculty members who offered their guidance, they hope aspects of the design will be brought to reality.

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Project Team

  • Project Leader:

    Jessica Wiegand

Dates

  • Completed December 15, 2017

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Project details last updated on: 9/7/2021. Check Project Updates for recent activity.