Project 1: St. Louis Case Study

For this project I was assigned zone Cfa and I was drawn to investigate the city of St. Louis as I think it has a very unique architectural history and is often overlooked.

The city began as an important node linking the Western United States to the Eastern United States and experienced economic prosperity in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Most of the vernacular architecture dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and it is common to find wood framed homes clad in a brick veneer.




In addition to this vernacular architecture, the city is most known for the Gateway Arch, designed by Eero Saarinen and completed in 1963, symbolically linking the east and the west, which is separated by the Mississippi River.

St. Louis experiences hot and humid summers while in the winter the temperature does dip below freezing. It is fortunate to not experience many natural disasters, apart from in 1993 when the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers rose up due to a prolonged cold spell and above average rainfall. All told, the city experienced 147 days of flood water which reached a peak height of 19.7 feet above the standard level.



Since the 1950's, St. Louis has experienced significant population decline and economic hardship which I believe is partly to blame for a minimal amount of green building in and around the metropolitan area. However, with that being said a couple of unique projects have been taken place:

Gateway Arch Visitor Center and Museum:



Completed in 2018, the Gateway Arch Museum is a 150,000 square foot facility built entirely underground. It has a 3.1 acre green roof which helps eliminate the heat island effect and allows for green space and unimpeded views of the arch.

Sheet Metal Workers Local 36

Another unique project is the new headquarters of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36 completed in 2015. The building is a 96,000 square foot facility that houses the union headquarters, administrative offices and a training facility. It has a green roof and 95% of the construction materials were diverted from landfills.



In conclusion, St. Louis seems to be moving in the direction of more green buildings. The city receives a significant amount of sun and the vernacular architectural style of flat roofs would make it appear that it is prime for the addition of solar panels or green roofs. As the city continues to grow, I think both of these features will become more prominent.




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