Facilities

The Ecodome, a 3,100 square foot greenhouse, is used in sustainable food systems research projects as well as urban agriculture production. Vertical farming elements are demonstrated in the Ecodome greenhouse space. Our greenhouse are home to the aquaponics systems that demonstrate sustainable food production in a controlled setting.

Aquaponics offers solutions to fish farmers who dispose of nutrient-rich fish waste and to hydroponic growers who require constant inputs of nutrient additives. The systems are located indoors and operate in all seasons, allowing a continual harvest of sustainably grown produce.

This aquaponic system is ornamental in design but still grows fish and produce for food. Students in the Solutions to Environmental Problems (STEP) course have worked to identify what to grow and how to process them for our yearly Farmers Market.

The Searle Biodiesel Lab houses Loyola’s award-winning Biodiesel program. Students have built a self-sustaining business by converting portions of our campus waste stream into marketable products like biodiesel for our shuttle bus systems and hand soap for our campus restrooms. 

The STEP lab hosts entrepreneurial courses exploring and creating solutions to some of today’s most pressing environmental issues. STEP Water has looked at water contamination and the issues related to water privatization in developing economies. STEP Food has explored the food procurement policies of Loyola Dining, created the Loyola Farmers Market and multiple edible garden projects across campus and at the Retreat and Ecology Campus.‌

‌We share common spaces with San Francisco Hall, a 130,000 sq. ft. residence hall for freshman and sophomores that houses the Green House Learning Community – students who share common classes and co-curricular activities and engage in Loyola’s initiatives to maintain a more sustainable campus.

Engrained Cafe's menu focuses on sourcing seasonal, organic, locally grown food produced within a 150-mile radius.

We encourage all of our SES students to take a class at LUREC during the summer session, where you can study nature in nature.

There are two ecology labs on the lower level at LUREC which are equipped with microscopes, dissecting equipment, a freezer, and glassware along with AV equipment and a chemical hood.

The Loyola Farm has been operating since 2010 and is in full throttle toward becoming a sustainable food operation. The farm includes a hoop house, a heated greenhouse and two acres of organic row crops.

Our building has state of the art sustainability features that allow SES to maximize our natural resources and find ways to divert, reuse and repurpose waste.

Our building has state of the art sustainability features that allow SES to maximize our natural resources and find ways to divert, reuse and repurpose waste.

Stormwater Management

Large underground concrete cisterns capture rainwater and slowly release it into the ground or the city’s sewer system. This is part of Loyola’s larger stormwater strategy to reduce the amount of rainwater being directed to the city’s combined sewer system. This in return reduces water contamination in local waterways and prevents basement flooding for Loyola and our neighbors.

Rain Capture

Water falling on the roof of San Francisco Hall is collected in a 3,000 gallon cistern located on the first floor of San Francisco Hall. The water is then reused in the greenhouse operations for irrigation and landscape and for flushing the toilets located directly off the Lounge. There is also a connection to city water during times of drought.

Geothermal System

91 wells reaching 500 feet into the ground provide heating/cooling energy for the facility. This is the largest system within the City of Chicago and the first in the State to be installed underneath the facility’s footprint. This system will save about 30% off our heating and cooling costs functioning like a large radiator into the ground, sending energy, in the form of heat, into the earth in the summer and drawing in heat during the winter.

Green Roofing

Another part of the facility’s stormwater management is our green roofs. Loyola is a leader in green roofs, having more than any other University in the Midwest. The SES has 3 green roofs providing stormwater capture, improving air quality, providing habitat and reducing the urban heat island.

There are two gardens at Loyola that demonstrate some of the best small-scale urban agriculture techniques from Chicago and the world. These demonstration gardens are intended to educate students, faculty, and staff of the University as well as the greater community. Currently, 20% of food produced in the gardens is donated to a charity, A Just Harvest.

Our rooftop gardens are a demonstration and exploration of the three-season (spring, summer, fall) growing seasons. We grow a variety of seasonal herbs, produce and flowers. This site allows students to learn about rooftop food production in conditions that differ from on-the-ground growing conditions and, of particular importance, the ability to grow food in urban conditions when ground-level space is not possible.

Winthrop Garden is a small orchard planted by the student group Growers Guild with twenty raised beds and an array of vegetables and herbs. This garden utilizes low tunnel season extension strategies that allow the cultivation of crops beyond their traditional growing season. Three-bin and single-bin compost systems to provide necessary nutrients for both gardens.