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The center's graywater system was challenging to plumb on compliance with current local building codes. Cisterns in the garage store up to 350 gallons of rainwater collected from the south-facing roof areas. To meet code, that water is treated onsite to drinking standards, and then used for flushing toilets. Overflow is directed to outdoor rain barrels and then underground to the pond via a pipe. The north-facing roof areas send water to a rain garden behind the building, with a path of porous Ecocrete. The front driveway guides rain toward native plantings along the front walk.

Driven significantly by the approach of Ken Leinbach, the center's executive director, the Urban Ecology Center took a endlessly creative approach to the details and execution of sustainable building, viewing its construction project as an opportunity for both embodying environmental stewardship and for deepening community connections.

Ken and the project team searched repeatedly and again and again found local used materials, from the wood floor of a old school gym that was given a second life on the center second floor, to the signature bricks of local brick makers with long history in Milwaukee which decorate the main atrium chimney.

As it turned out, these reclaimed materials brought with them priceless stories, threads of cultural continuity that could not have simply been bought or otherwise acquired. In addition to their own physical history, in several cases the presence of specific salvaged materials led to human connections with center for people who had had known them in past material lives. Small signs posted around the building share some of the many stories of the reclaimed materials.

These living histories touch the minds and hearts of visitors, new relationships building with a new place through the touch of old materials. For instance, the maple floor of the second story main space resonates with community members who lived with it, maybe went to their first dance, or an important basketball game, at the local school where the boards had served before.

In turn, shortly after the building was finished, it was recognized that there hadn’t been a place in the community to have dances on old fashioned wood floors that give life and enjoyment back to dancing. People hadn’t really recognized the other uses of this space, until the large expansive second story floor of the UEC was completed.

It was one of the many surprises to Ken that grew out of his thoughtful way of putting the UEC together. He had no way of knowing just how far it would go, connecting community to the UEC. Now community dances are held on these floors as people are exposed to the UEC and its mission and goals.

The bricks in the central fireplace that warm the core of the building proudly display historic brick maker family and company names. On a tour of the newly build UEC, one participate recognized her family name in the fireplace. She asked Ken if he had more of those bricks, hoping to reconnect to some of her family history.

Within weeks of the request, yet another community member offered to Ken additional bricks that he had in his garage. One of those bricks bore the family name he sought. Ken through his many relationships and connections returned this family artifact to her, found a new supporter for the UEC and has given us a story about the importance of connection and the surprising places we might find them.

Guiding Lenses

Ken Leinbach explains how the Urban Ecology Center used a set of six filters or "guiding lenses" to help with decision making throughout the building project.

Time. This is closely related to budget issues, but provides a different way of looking at things. After the construction process starts, any delays cause cost increases. If you spend a lot of time looking for the best green building product, for example, there is a delay cost to balance. This effectively created running deadlines for Leinbach in his searches for various products.

 

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The front yard garden and rainwater pond provide outdoor teaching opportunities at the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images Extra Large Image A laboratory classroom in the Urban Ecology Center. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images A spiral staircase connects first- and second-floor workspace for Urban Ecology Center staff. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images A second-floor loft work space at the Urban Ecology Center. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images A wall pivots to reveal the "Camouflage Room," a 'hidden' classroom space on the second floor of the Urban Ecology Center. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images Inside the Camouflage Room, movable reused carpet tiles and sliding mural panels continue the spirit of play that permeates the Urban Ecology Center. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images Extra Large Image South elevation drawing of the Urban Ecology Center. Image: The Kubala Washatko Architects Extra Large Image West elevation drawing of the Urban Ecology Center. Image: The Kubala Washatko Architects Extra Large Image A steel watchtower marks the western end of the Urban Ecology Center, looking out over Riverside Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images To the north, the gardens of the Urban Ecology Center connect with the grounds of Riverside High School. Photo: Kevin Matthews / Artifice Images Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.