Duke Kunshan University, a joint endeavor between Duke University and Wuhan University, is situated on a 200-acre site in Kunshan, 40 miles from Shanghai.

14 years ago, rapid urbanization caused Kunshan to face significant challenges with urban flooding and water quality degradation. This development accentuates the unprecedented importance of adept stormwater management. DKU’s landscape design team is entrusted with the imperative to mitigate the ramifications of intense rainfall and urban flooding phenomena within the region. They embraced an ecology-first strategy, pioneering water system design in the region to enhance the campus atmosphere and create a sustainable, serene educational environment.

The spatial design of the campus dynamically interacts with the seasonal fluctuations of water levels, transforming the lake’s surrounding areas and the bridge at its heart into versatile waterfront platforms. These platforms seamlessly transition between squares, outdoor theatres, classrooms, open-air tea rooms, and water channels, catering to various functions like celebrations, viewing, learning, reading, and relaxation. The terrace is meticulously crafted to adapt to the region’s water level variability, permitting select communal spaces to be submerged during February, July, and August, and to reemerge in times of diminished rainfall. This period presents the campus with a serene atmosphere that reflects the typical water town layout of Kunshan. During academic periods, lower water levels due to reduced natural water supply increase space for outdoor interactions, perfectly accommodating the heightened demand for campus outdoor activities.

The overall project, encompassing phases one and two of the DKU campus and Duke Garden, is committed to fulfilling ecological promises with a forward-looking perspective. Phase I emphasizes water as a key cultural element, harvesting it from roofs and landscapes while filtering pollutants from driveways. Phase II aims for water collection and purification through the 16-acre Duke Garden Lake and Wetland. In addition, the campus’s water cycle system and the landscape design have been integrated into the curriculum of the general courses and the environmental studies program respectively, offering students a tangible understanding of sustainable practices and ecological principles. Water has become a focal point, achieving the original goal of using water as a narrative to showcase ecological education and promote respect for the environment.

Economically, although the underground filtration system for water purification added an initial cost of 3 million yuan, the completed rainwater harvesting and green space irrigation systems have resulted in annual savings of 350,000 yuan. This means the additional investment can be recouped within eight years, demonstrating the project’s sustainability. Moreover, the implementation of sponge city concepts has alleviated the burden on surrounding infrastructure and investment, improving the area’s environmental quality and increasing the value of nearby land developments. The foresight of this approach has proven to be a sustainable blueprint for education, demonstrating Duke Kunshan University’s commitment to integrating ecological stewardship with academic excellence in response to climate challenges. The success of the campus has generated positive feedback from the community towards the Sponge City model and has spurred the design and construction of other Sponge City projects in Kunshan.

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