Green Infrastructure

 

The Cold Climate Housing Research Center is working in partnership with the City of Fairbanks, GW Scientific, and the Fairbanks Soil & Water Conservation District to develop plans for ten designs home owners can implement to reduce rainwater and pollutant runoff from their property. This project is made possible by funding from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Several of the designs will be demonstrated at sites throughout Fairbanks.

Demonstrations and How-To

There will be three in-store workshops at local building supply stores, nurseries, farmers markets, and/or the public library. These will demonstrate how to construct some of the simpler green infrastructure applications, e.g., building a rain barrel for water reuse. A schedule for these workshops will be posted once they are established.

Watch here for our “how to” brochures on a wide range of rainwater topics, from placing a rain barrel to building a home with a green roof.

Demonstration Projects:

Upcoming Events:

  • Green Roof Tours for the Public at the Cold Climate Housing Research Facility
    May 1 through Aug 31: weekly on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. after the building tour

 

 

Our Resources

 

Rainwater Barrels
Project Handout (PDF)

Rainwater Garden
Project Handout (PDF)

Rainwater Garden Plant List
link (PDF)

Tree Pit
Project Handout (PDF)

Tree Pit Tree List
link (PDF)

Infiltration and Flow-Through Planters
Project Handout (PDF)

Riparian Forest Buffer
Project Handout (PDF)

Grass Reinforcement Protection Mesh
Project Handout (PDF)

Green Roof
Project Handout (PDF)

Permeable Driveway Tiles (pavers)
Project Handout (PDF)

Links

 

Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Agriculture, Directory of Alaska Native Plant Sources
Website (link)

Alaska Storm Water Guide (Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, 2009)
Website (link)

BMP Effectiveness Report for Fairbanks, Alaska (Shannon & Wilson, 2006)
link (PDF)

EPA Green Infrastructure Webpage
Website (link)

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Website (link)

Low Impact Development, Design Guidance Manual (Municipality of Anchorage, 2008)
link (PDF)

Rainwater Barrels
Website (link)

Rainwater Garden
Website (link)

Retention Grading and Vegetated Swales
Website (link)

Dry Wells
Website (link)