The vacant Cooper elementary school in Minneapolis,MN is a candidate for a re-design using the original shell of the building. Sustainability and LEED credits were our main concern for this project. I created a design that increased the tree canopy density, removed the majority of impermeable surface and created a outdoor recreation obstacle course for athlete training. The Building was re-purposed with retail,food and a fitness center on the first floor and residential housing on the top floor. The amount of natural light was increased by adding windows and skylights. The roof has a high SRI to decrease the heat island effect and a green roof has also been incorporated on the roof of the yoga studio. The site includes a community garden with sunken rain barrels for irrigation, native plantings, erosion control measures, a storm water retention pond and the incorporation of underground parking to reduce the amount of impermeable surface.
