2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge Deadline Extended

Due to the challenges some campuses have been experiencing because of Hurricane Florence, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water has extended the deadline to register for its 2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge to Friday, October 12, 2018, 11:59 pm EDT.

The Campus RainWorks Challenge is a green infrastructure design competition that seeks to engage with the next generation of environmental professionals, foster a dialogue about stormwater management, and showcase the environmental, economic, and social benefits of green infrastructure practices.

Green Infrastructure

As we know in the living architecture business, green infrastructure refers to a variety of practices that restore or mimic natural hydrological processes.

“While “gray” stormwater infrastructure is largely designed to convey stormwater away from the built environment, green infrastructure uses soils, vegetation and other media to manage rainwater where it falls through capture and evapotranspiration.  By integrating natural processes into the built environment, green infrastructure provides a wide variety of community benefits, including improving water and air quality, reducing urban heat island effects, creating habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, and providing aesthetic and recreational value.” ~ U.S. EPA

2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge Student Eligibility & Prizes

Current students at American colleges and universities are eligible to participate.  Student teams must register in order to submit their entries by December 14th.  Winners will be announced in the Spring of 2019.

Each first-place team will earn a student prize of $2,000 to be divided evenly among student team members and a faculty prize of $3,000 to support green infrastructure research or training.  Second-place teams will win $1,000 for student teams and a $2,000 faculty prize.

Read more about How to Enter, Calendar, FAQs, and to Register for the 2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge at: www.epa.gov/campusrainworks.  If you have any questions, email RainWorks@epa.gov.

Sustainable Stormwater Designs

Cooperating organizations assisting the EPA with judging and outreach include the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA); American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); and the Water Environment Federation (WEF).

The EPA asks, Does your school have what it takes to win?  The only way to know is to step up to the challenge and find out by entering the 2018 Campus RainWorks Challenge.

With so many different types of green infrastructure, I’d like to see some awesome design entries incorporating greenroofs and/or walls into the mix!

Top Photo: A rendering of the “Stronger Quinlan” project that won the EPA’s 2017 Campus RainWorks Challenge. Photo: K-State News