New ‘sustainability wall’ in Armstrong Student Center connects the Mitchell Sustainability Park to the hub of campus
Features include a 20-foot graphic of the park, digital display of Miami's decarbonization efforts
New ‘sustainability wall’ in Armstrong Student Center connects the Mitchell Sustainability Park to the hub of campus
A new “sustainability wall” was recently installed in the Slant Walk hallway of Armstrong Student Center. It serves to connect students and visitors to the Sharon and Graham Mitchell Sustainability Park underway on Western campus.
Construction of the park — which will open later this spring — continues with installation of the walking paths, seating areas, lighting, and gateways.
The park’s two solar arrays, comprising more than 3,330 solar panels, have been installed, and once hooked up to the grid this spring they will produce around 2,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity annually. This solar powered-electricity will help Miami achieve its carbon neutrality goal by 2040.
The new Sustainability Wall brings elements of the park to Armstrong, including a 20-foot wall graphic of the park’s design, the signature Myaamia phrase from the park’s gateway, and informational slides about Miami’s decarbonization and sustainability efforts. A preserved moss feature embellished with a beveled M provides a green touch.
A real-time digital display of the energy production of the solar arrays (dashboard) will also be on view later this spring.
The Mitchell Sustainability Park is made possible by a $5 million principal gift from longtime Miami and sustainability supporters Sharon Janosik Mitchell ’73 and Graham Mitchell ’73, M.En. ’76.
The original Sustainability Wall was created for the opening of Armstrong Student Center in February 2014, as part of its Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
Its building-specific information panels included facts such as:
- Daylight is "harvested" to naturally illuminate the interior atrium and Slant Walk spaces.
- Restroom fixtures use 40% less water than already efficient standard models.
- More than 90% of the construction-related waste was diverted from the landfill and instead recycled through sustainable demolition and construction techniques and thoughtful planning.
- Exterior paving incorporated materials with a high solar reflectance index (SRI) value, reducing the heat island effect of the areas around the Armstrong Student Center.
