Case Study 1: St. Louis


For my case study 1, I explored the city of St. Louis, a place I have had the chance to visit on various occasions and in my mind a very unique place. The city has a lot of pride and a strong culturally identity, however over the past 50 years it has fallen on economic hard times and has experienced a sharp population decline that is now just starting to rebuild.


Gingerbread houses - a classic style in St. Louis 

The infamous Pruitt-Igoe housing complex built in the 1950's according to Modernist principles and was demolished less than 20 years


When looking for examples of sustainable building occurring in St. Louis, two principle examples stood out from the rest:

Gateway Arch Visitor Center and Museum

Completed in 2018, the Gateway Arch Visitor Center & Museum is a 150,000 square foot building that is almost entirely underground and is topped by a 3.1 acre green roof.
Through placing the museum underground, the architect preserved unobstructed views of the iconic arch, reduced the heat island effect, and preserved open space at the site.
The project is estimated to be below 24% baseline energy estimates and potable water usage reduced by 31%.
In addition to the green roof, the building features low flow fixtures, LED lighting, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and close connections to local public transportation networks.




Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 

Constructed in 2015, the headquarters of Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 has the highest LEED certification in St. Louis.
The site sits on a once contaminated manufacturing site into a 96,000 square foot that houses a union hall, training facility, and adminstrative offices.


Building Features:
4,500 SF roof garden as well as light-colored roof materials to help decrease heat island effect
Native landscaping materials that will not require irrigation, eliminating water consumption on the site
95% of demolition and construction debris diverted from landfills 15% on-site renewable energy, integrating solar photovoltaic panels, horizontal axis
Helical wind turbines, and solar hot water system 52% projected energy savings
Dual-flush and low-flow water fixtures, reducing water usage 73%

Abundant daylighting, including vision glass at overhead doors and skylights in shop
areas

Individual lighting controls for 94% of building occupants Individual thermal comfort system controls for 91% of building occupants

Use of low-emitting materials and finishes
More than 40% of construction materials extracted and manufactured regionally

More than 75% of wood products are FSC certifiedBuilding Features
4,500 SF roof garden as well as light-colored roof materials to help decrease heat island effect
Native landscaping materials that will not require irrigation, eliminating water consumption on the site
95% of demolition and construction debris diverted from landfills 15% on-site renewable energy, integrating solar photovoltaic panels, horizontal axis
Helical wind turbines, and solar hot water system 52% projected energy savings
Dual-flush and low-flow water fixtures, reducing water usage 73%

Abundant daylighting, including vision glass at overhead doors and skylights in shop
areas

Individual lighting controls for 94% of building occupants Individual thermal comfort system controls for 91% of building occupants

Use of low-emitting materials and finishes
More than 40% of construction materials extracted and manufactured regionally

More than 75% of wood products are FSC certified


After completing my research, it seems that sustainable building is lagging slightly behind that of other major cities. I think this is due largely to economic factors as sustainability is still in many ways a "luxury good." The added cost makes it more difficult for places with a smaller budget to achieve. However, with that being said, it is heartening to see that thought was put into creating a more sustainable space at the Arch, as it is a major symbol for the city. Furthermore, seeing a local union comprised of mainly blue collar workers choose to make the investment in green building technology gives hope that it is potentially a trend that will become more widespread in the area. 

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