The Sustainable Sites InitiativeTM (SITESTM) is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. For more information about SITES, click here.
Jacob Blue, M.S., RLA, ASLA: Use of Vegetation Through SITES
Monday, January 10th; 1:30 - 2:30 P.M.
LA CES approved.
Jacob Blue with Applied Ecological Services will discuss the use of vegetation within the SITES context. He is working on an upcoming chapter on vegetation for the Sustainable Sites Handbook. The SITES website lists some examples of sustainable practices as they relate to vegetation:
Protect and use existing vegetation
Select sites that do not include habitat for threatened or endangered species. Design the site to minimize disruption to existing habitats. Preserve trees designated as important by local, state, or federal entities. Mature trees are significant community resources because of their cultural, aesthetic, or historic relevance. Encourage a tight disturbance zone to limit construction damage to vegetation.
Use vegetation that promotes a regional identity and a sense of place
Use native and appropriate non-native plants adapted to site conditions, climate, and design intent to support biodiversity, reduced pesticide use, and water conservation. Use only non-invasive plants that are nursery grown, legally harvested, or salvaged for reuse from on- or off-site.
Use vegetation to lower energy consumption
To reduce energy consumption and costs associated with indoor energy needs, place vegetation or vegetated structures in strategic locations around buildings. To reduce urban heat island effects, use trees, green roofs, or vegetated structures (e.g., trellises) to cover non-vegetated surfaces such as walkways, roofs, or parking lots, and select vegetation-based methods to achieve stormwater management goals for the site.
Manage landscapes effectively to reduce potential damage
Control and remove invasive species to limit damage to local ecosystems. To mitigate potential fire hazards, contact local fire departments for recommendations on plant spacing, fire-resistant plant species, and fuel management practices appropriate to the local area.
Learning Objectives:
Exploring Design Schools of Thought
Defining Ecotecture (Ecological Landscape Architecture)
Defining Good Sustainable Design
Jacob Blue is a Senior Landscape Architect and Wisconsin Branch Manage for Applied Ecological Services. Blue manages the Brodhead, WI office of Applied Ecological Services (AES). As a senior landscape architect, he provides design direction and oversight as well as experiential expertise for large and small scale design and restoration projects. Because of his understanding of native plants and his design strengths, Blue is keenly interested in the use of native species in restoration and non-restoration designs and the habitat as well as aesthetic implications of their use. Blue was a member of the Vegetation Technical Subcommittee for the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) report in 2009, a landscape assessment tool that will become part of the USGBC LEED program, and currently serves on the Technical Core Committee of SITES. He is a national leader defining and practicing ecological landscape architectural design or Ecotecture. He has provided design leadership for corporate campus restoration plans, urban stream stabilization projects, conservation development projects, campus plans, and residential rain gardens. In addition he has led professional design charrettes, incorporating both scientific and design/aesthetic needs of a site. Blue is a registered Landscape Architect and has conducted graduate ecology research.
Sustainable Sites Initiative: website
Applied Ecological Services: website
Ted Spaid and Hunter Beckham: Sustainable Sites Initiative Overview - Lessons from two Pilot Projects
Monday, January 10th: 3:00 - 4:00 P.M.
LA CES approved.
Existing design and construction rating systems include little recognition of the benefits of sustainable landscape and site design. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is about to change that, with a new rating system - SITES - that includes 15 prerequisites and 51 potential credits for a 250-point rating system that recognizes sustainable practices across the industry. Credits cover areas such as use of greenfields, brownfields and greyfields; materials; hydrology: soils and vegetation; construction and maintenance and monitoring the performance of the improvements made. The performance benchmarks and rating system can be used by anyone in the design, construction, and maintenance fields, as well as homeowners and governments. This session will provide an insight into the initiative and show examples of two Pilot Projects designed by SWT Design.
The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the United States Botanic Garden to create voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. Over 150 Pilot Projects are participating in the SITES two-year Pilot Program (June 2010-June 2012).
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Promote a general understanding of SITES
The importance of a strong interdisciplinary team
Sustainable site design techniques
Practical examples from the pilot projects
Ted Spaid is a principal and co-founder of SWT Design. Mr. Spaid is known around the country for his practical knowledge of park planning, landscape design, horticulture, environmental planning, and landscape maintenance procedures. His twenty three years of experience have made him well respected by clients and peers. His unique vision and talent that is applied to every landscape architectural design project is sought out by public and private institutions seeking to delight and immerse visitors into their unique environments.
Hunter Beckham has over 15 years of experience in landscape architecture with special interest in environmental stewardship through design, construction and education. Mr. Beckham is accustomed to working within participative design processes, encouraging input from clients, planning agencies, municipal and zoning officials, and community groups. He brings an open-minded, solution-oriented perspective.
