Windrush School, El Cerrito

1800 Elm St., El Cerrito Map
At private Windrush School, a new, energy-efficient building is roofed with plants to catch runoff and solar panels to capture energy. The school’s oldest building, a historic landmark, rear, was built as a Chinese orphanage.

Left, plants are in removable trays for easy repairs to the roof membrane. Drains prevent floods or too much weight of water on the roof.
Below, seen from roof: Runoff from the new building and adjacent plazas and an older building is slowed and treated in a large flow-through planted area. Click for larger image.

Below, click for larger views of planted area used to treat runoff and slow peak flows. Rocks at rear prevent erosion; drain prevents flooding. Underdrains take heavy flows to storm drains.