Smarter campuses start with trees.
Seven years ago, the University of Tennessee made a bet on trees. Today, students lounge in the shade of a thriving urban forest that started with proper planning and innovative green infrastructure.
Walk across most university campuses and you’ll spot them everywhere: struggling trees in tiny pockets of soil, their stunted growth a result of good intentions but poor planning. The typical approach of placing trees in compacted soil rarely produces the robust canopies that define great campus spaces. Without adequate root volume, trees struggle, fail to reach maturity, or require constant replacement.
Volunteer Boulevard, UT’s main campus artery, faced this exact challenge. Heavy foot traffic, limited root space, and big dreams for a tree-lined corridor that would define the campus experience. To achieve that vision, the university needed something better.
In 2018, UT took a different approach. Instead of just planting trees and hoping for the best, they invested in underground infrastructure for the trees.
Working with GreenBlue Urban on Volunteer Boulevard, they installed RootSpace soil cells: a structured system that gives tree roots room to breathe, grow, and establish while supporting the hardscape above.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Smarter campuses start with trees.
Seven years ago, the University of Tennessee made a bet on trees. Today, students lounge in the shade of a thriving urban forest that started with proper planning and innovative green infrastructure.
Walk across most university campuses and you’ll spot them everywhere: struggling trees in tiny pockets of soil, their stunted growth a result of good intentions but poor planning. The typical approach of placing trees in compacted soil rarely produces the robust canopies that define great campus spaces. Without adequate root volume, trees struggle, fail to reach maturity, or require constant replacement.
Volunteer Boulevard, UT’s main campus artery, faced this exact challenge. Heavy foot traffic, limited root space, and big dreams for a tree-lined corridor that would define the campus experience. To achieve that vision, the university needed something better.
In 2018, UT took a different approach. Instead of just planting trees and hoping for the best, they invested in underground infrastructure for the trees.
Working with GreenBlue Urban on Volunteer Boulevard, they installed RootSpace soil cells: a structured system that gives tree roots room to breathe, grow, and establish while supporting the hardscape above.
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
Project
Location
Contractor
Landscape Architect
The results speak for themselves. What was once a typical campus walkway is now a lush, tree-lined corridor that fundamentally changes how people experience the space.
Expanding Green Space: Students have claimed the shaded spaces beneath these trees as preferred locations for study, dining, and social interaction. The design has effectively expanded UT’s usable outdoor space, creating informal learning environments that complement traditional classroom settings.
Design Impact: Dappled shade patterns and seasonal interest create that sophisticated, park-like atmosphere that makes visitors stop and notice. It creates a sense of place, a home away from home.
Environmental & Economic Benefits: Mature canopies reduce building cooling costs, manage stormwater, and improve air quality. Properly established trees appreciate over time, in contrast to hardscape elements that depreciate from installation.
Student Performance and Well-Being: Research confirms what designers have long understood: quality green spaces support mental health and cognitive performance. Studies indicate that students perform better academically when they have regular access to green spaces that can help clear the mind and reduce anxiety.
UT’s investment in proper tree infrastructure continues paying dividends in campus quality, student experience, and institutional pride. When trees get the foundation they need, they deliver the sophisticated environments that attract students and build reputations.
The results speak for themselves. What was once a typical campus walkway is now a lush, tree-lined corridor that fundamentally changes how people experience the space.
Expanding Green Space: Students have claimed the shaded spaces beneath these trees as preferred locations for study, dining, and social interaction. The design has effectively expanded UT’s usable outdoor space, creating informal learning environments that complement traditional classroom settings.
Design Impact: Dappled shade patterns and seasonal interest create that sophisticated, park-like atmosphere that makes visitors stop and notice. It creates a sense of place, a home away from home.
Environmental & Economic Benefits: Mature canopies reduce building cooling costs, manage stormwater, and improve air quality. Properly established trees appreciate over time, in contrast to hardscape elements that depreciate from installation.
Student Performance and Well-Being: Research confirms what designers have long understood: quality green spaces support mental health and cognitive performance. Studies indicate that students perform better academically when they have regular access to green spaces that can help clear the mind and reduce anxiety.
UT’s investment in proper tree infrastructure continues paying dividends in campus quality, student experience, and institutional pride. When trees get the foundation they need, they deliver the sophisticated environments that attract students and build reputations.
Seven years later, Volunteer Boulevard shows what happens when universities think beyond installation day to plan for mature, thriving landscapes.
This project proves a fundamental principle: great landscapes start below ground. Surface-level solutions rarely create robust, mature landscapes that define exceptional spaces. The mature canopy that now defines this campus space started with a simple recognition: if you want trees that transform spaces, you have to start with the roots.
Seven years later, Volunteer Boulevard shows what happens when universities think beyond installation day to plan for mature, thriving landscapes.
This project proves a fundamental principle: great landscapes start below ground. Surface-level solutions rarely create robust, mature landscapes that define exceptional spaces. The mature canopy that now defines this campus space started with a simple recognition: if you want trees that transform spaces, you have to start with the roots.
