Meg Calkins

Providing comprehensive information for closing material loops and reducing carbon impacts of site construction, this ground-breaking book is an essential resource for landscape architects and engineers to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.It provides strategies, tools, and detailed information for the practice of climate positive design. Reduced carbon, resource efficient materials, and material mixes are addressed for both standard and alternative materials including stone, concrete, asphalt pavement, brick, earth-based materials, wood, biobased materials, metals, and plastics. Construction considerations are discussed and illustrated, and strategies to reduce environmental impacts are offered. Emphasis is placed on durable, resource efficient structures, and reduced embodied carbon approaches for pavements, porous pavements, green roofs, bioengineered embankments, retaining walls freestanding walls, decks and boardwalks, and rails, fences, and screens. Exemplary case studies from around the world are highlighted, and key resources such as assessment tools, information transparency tools, and benchmarking measures are provided.Responding to the need for landscape architecture to account for climate change, resource consumption, and habitat destruction, this important book is key reading for both professionals and students alike.

Providing comprehensive information for closing material loops and reducing carbon impacts of site construction, this ground-breaking book is an essential resource for landscape architects and engineers to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century.It provides strategies, tools, and detailed information for the practice of climate positive design. Reduced carbon, resource efficient materials, and material mixes are addressed for both standard and alternative materials including stone, concrete, asphalt pavement, brick, earth-based materials, wood, biobased materials, metals, and plastics. Construction considerations are discussed and illustrated, and strategies to reduce environmental impacts are offered. Emphasis is placed on durable, resource efficient structures, and reduced embodied carbon approaches for pavements, porous pavements, green roofs, bioengineered embankments, retaining walls freestanding walls, decks and boardwalks, and rails, fences, and screens. Exemplary case studies from around the world are highlighted, and key resources such as assessment tools, information transparency tools, and benchmarking measures are provided.Responding to the need for landscape architecture to account for climate change, resource consumption, and habitat destruction, this important book is key reading for both professionals and students alike.

Get the definitive resource guide for sustainable site design, construction, and management. The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is transforming land design, development, and management practices across the United States with the first national rating system for sustainable landscapes. The Sustainable Sites Handbook features comprehensive and detailed information on principles, strategies, technologies, tools, and best practices for sustainable site design. Contributors to this book are some of the same experts that carefully shaped the SITES rating tool, ensuring thorough coverage of the broad range of topics related to sustainable site design. The Sustainable Sites Handbook offers in-depth coverage of design, construction, and management for systems of hydrology, vegetation, soils, materials, and human health and well-being. Focusing primarily on environmental site design and ecosystem services, this wide-ranging guide also covers issues of social equity, economic feasibility, and stewardship, which are crucial to the success of any sustainable site. Equally useful as a handbook for obtaining SITES credits or for the independent development of sustainable sites, The Sustainable Sites Handbook is an indispensible resource for practicing professionals in landscape architecture, landscape design, architecture, civil engineering, land planning, horticulture, ecology, environmental engineering, landscape contracting, and parks and recreation management.

This complete guide to the evaluation, selection, and use of sustainable materials in the landscape features strategies to minimize environmental and human health impacts of conventional site construction materials as well as green materials. Providing detailed current information on construction materials for sustainable sites, the book introduces tools, techniques, ideologies and resources for evaluating, sourcing, and specifying sustainable site materials. Chapters cover types of materials, both conventional and emerging green materials, environmental and human health impacts of the material, and detailed strategies to minimize these impacts. Case studies share cost and performance information and lessons learned.