OCC Mawhinney Hall Boasts New Sustainable Site Improvements

Mawhinney Hall has been a part of the Onondaga Community Campus for forty years, and the site surrounding the building recently received some important renovations.  Appel Osborne was the prime site design consultant for the landscape improvements which were centered around a significant sustainability component.  Traditional sidewalks and asphalt were replaced with permeable pavers and porous asphalt to allow storm water to be absorbed back into the earth.  Underground pipes convey storm water to planters which lead to bio-retention areas containing native plants that are tolerant of wet soil conditions.  Storm runoff from the roads and parking lots has been redirected into bio-retention areas.  It was an important element of the design to reduce the storm water runoff draining directly into Furnace Brook which runs through the middle of the campus.  Click this link to read an article about the project and view photos and videos demonstrating the sustainable design: https://news.sunyocc.edu/2016/10/05/gateway-to-sustainability/