Module 6- Current Practices and Moving Forward
Module 6: Current Practices and Moving Forward
In Landscape Architecture, we use the Sustainable SITES initiative to evaluate the designs and their effects on the environment. According to the Sustainable SITES Initiative website, "SITES is used by landscape architects, designers, engineers, architects, developers, policy makers, and others to align land development and management with innovative sustainable design." also, "... SITES helps create ecologically resilient communities and benefits the environment, property owners, and local and regional communities and economics."
Basically, this tool is used as a grading tool using the same comparative techniques across the board and use an equal scale rating to grade designs. It focuses on not only how the design looks,but how the design performs and acts as a sustainable area. There is a lot of focus on water conservation and the percentages of impervious pavement versus the pervious or porous aspects of the site.
This is an example of a SITES project. It is a brownfield restoration area located in Woodbridge, New Jersey along the Raritan River. They are planning to turn the site into more than 100 acres of wetland which will improve the water quality through plant choice and placement. Also the waterways will be designed to have sufficient depth in order to preserve fish species during freezing and drought conditions.
Another example of a SITES project is Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
They utilized green infrastructure to achieve LEED and SITES certifications. Green infrastructure is a great way to improve designs while creating sustainable design elements that can aid in the sustainability of a project. Using "green" design elements in sustainable sites is a sure way to get a site that can work for not only the population now, but it will also work for future generations which is a basic definition of the word sustainability.
Another design technique that landscape architects use regularly is water conservation technologies. these different techniques help communities and projects recycle storm water and clean it in different ways so that the water can be utilized many ways on the site, mostly for irrigation, but depending on the state of the run-off, it could possibly even be cleaned enough to use in a house. These technologies can be retention ponds or detention ponds, different trenches that can move and handle urban runoff, and even rain garden systems where the water can be reused in the communities.
UT Arlington's, The Green at College Park was one of the first three projects in the world to be SITES certified. The site features storm water management for over 45 acres off site and bought onto the site using a detention system in the lawn, which reduces the peak runoff rate, slowing down the water before it has the chance to empty into Johnson Creek. The large green also helps with infiltration and filters suspended solids from College Park using a rain garden, biofilter, porous soils, and a weir system to move the water from one part of the site to another.
A portion of the Green at College Park bed system showing the use of materials and plants that are able to live in water if the situation arises because of the need of water detention.
Citations:
Image 1-
http://greatecology.com/projects/woodbridge-brownfield-redevelopment/
Image 2-
http://www.sustainablesites.org/green-infrastructure-exploring-solutions-leed-sites-and-parksmart
Image 3-
http://www.sradesign.com/projects/sustainable-sites-initiative/#prettyPhoto
In Landscape Architecture, we use the Sustainable SITES initiative to evaluate the designs and their effects on the environment. According to the Sustainable SITES Initiative website, "SITES is used by landscape architects, designers, engineers, architects, developers, policy makers, and others to align land development and management with innovative sustainable design." also, "... SITES helps create ecologically resilient communities and benefits the environment, property owners, and local and regional communities and economics."
Basically, this tool is used as a grading tool using the same comparative techniques across the board and use an equal scale rating to grade designs. It focuses on not only how the design looks,but how the design performs and acts as a sustainable area. There is a lot of focus on water conservation and the percentages of impervious pavement versus the pervious or porous aspects of the site.
This is an example of a SITES project. It is a brownfield restoration area located in Woodbridge, New Jersey along the Raritan River. They are planning to turn the site into more than 100 acres of wetland which will improve the water quality through plant choice and placement. Also the waterways will be designed to have sufficient depth in order to preserve fish species during freezing and drought conditions.
Another example of a SITES project is Phipps Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
They utilized green infrastructure to achieve LEED and SITES certifications. Green infrastructure is a great way to improve designs while creating sustainable design elements that can aid in the sustainability of a project. Using "green" design elements in sustainable sites is a sure way to get a site that can work for not only the population now, but it will also work for future generations which is a basic definition of the word sustainability.
Another design technique that landscape architects use regularly is water conservation technologies. these different techniques help communities and projects recycle storm water and clean it in different ways so that the water can be utilized many ways on the site, mostly for irrigation, but depending on the state of the run-off, it could possibly even be cleaned enough to use in a house. These technologies can be retention ponds or detention ponds, different trenches that can move and handle urban runoff, and even rain garden systems where the water can be reused in the communities.
UT Arlington's, The Green at College Park was one of the first three projects in the world to be SITES certified. The site features storm water management for over 45 acres off site and bought onto the site using a detention system in the lawn, which reduces the peak runoff rate, slowing down the water before it has the chance to empty into Johnson Creek. The large green also helps with infiltration and filters suspended solids from College Park using a rain garden, biofilter, porous soils, and a weir system to move the water from one part of the site to another.
A portion of the Green at College Park bed system showing the use of materials and plants that are able to live in water if the situation arises because of the need of water detention.
Citations:
Image 1-
http://greatecology.com/projects/woodbridge-brownfield-redevelopment/
Image 2-
http://www.sustainablesites.org/green-infrastructure-exploring-solutions-leed-sites-and-parksmart
Image 3-
http://www.sradesign.com/projects/sustainable-sites-initiative/#prettyPhoto
Having projects that both meets LEED and SITES requirement should be something we strive for. I often see LEED projects and they have practically zero landscape and open spaces incorporated, let alone water conservation technologies. It would be great that SITES was as widely recognized by people as LEED, so we could see a rise on development having to meet SITES certification requirements. The SITES certification is a great way to make sure that the development wont harm our natural environment and can be good for people in the future.
ReplyDeleteFrom a general perspective, I agree that LEED and other sustainability credentials is something to be strived for in every building. But, these sustainability accreditation standards in my opinion, only limit the potential of a project. Even though the standards for each category suggests that when reached, is deemed sustainable; but what about exceeding these standards. For an exceptional consideration towards sustainability. Correct me if I'm unaware of any sustainability accreditations that reward for exceeding standards. Also, from personal experience in filling out LEED forms, different categories carry their own weight in points. For example, Light Pollution Reduction carries 1 point, while Thermal Comfort - Design also carries 1 point. In my opinion, thermal comfort is far more significant in the overall design than light pollution. Hopefully in the future, there comes an accreditation that allotes points with discretion and without limit.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the SITES project is very useful in landscape design for water saving purposes. However, the SITES project has site size restrictions? Is it possible to use this technology on a green roof? If it is possible, then this will be a good tool to design a storm water management system for the green roofs. Also, is this an expensive project? And I just found out that LEED is also an indicator for a good storm water project.
ReplyDeleteThere is currently a student in the graduate program that is dealing with brown fields and through him i have taken interest in brown fields. I love that idea however it feels a lot like reclaiming the city with nature. My sustainability module had a lot to do with urban farming and a lot of urban farming takes use of improving water quality through fish and plant life and those working in harmony so i think that could be a great integrated next step for these kinds of projects.
ReplyDelete