Professional Practice
Climate Change Mitigation: Landscape Materials and Construction
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While landscape architects create designs and plans that help communities reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the construction of those designs can be a source of significant emissions in their own right. This is in large part due to the energy required to manufacture common building materials: the cement industry is responsible for , while .
, the use of these and other carbon-intensive building materials can generate an average of 1,100 tons of carbon dioxide per year per landscape architect.
Landscape architects are using their designs to shift the building industry to more sustainable, low-carbon materials and practices. For example, for their , landscape architecture firm worked with paving company to create a custom paving stone made of 30 percent recycled copper slag, which .
In another example, are , a fast growing, durable hardwood that is a sustainable (and more affordable) alternative to threatened tropical hardwoods such as Ipe.
In addition to materials, there are other source of emissions from the construction process: the transportation of materials and labor to the worksite, emissions generated by machinery during the construction process, and energy required to operate and maintain the landscape after construction is completed.
For these reasons, the American Society of Landscape Architects partnered with the and to create the (SITES), a rating system that seeks to define, measure, and promote sustainable landscape design and construction.
The SITES rating system contains a range of strategies and recommendations, many of which will result in an overall reduction of GHG emissions. Strategies include:
- Using recycled, salvaged, or sustainably manufactured and procured materials
- Using regionally sourced materials with shorter supply chains
- Designing for re-use and disassembly
- Using renewable sources for energy needs
- Reducing outdoor energy consumption, especially through the use of energy efficient lighting such as LEDs
Implementing carbon accounting and following the basic principles of SITES can help minimize emissions wherever possible
There are also emerging technologies that offer potential not only to reduce emissions, but even store carbon in the built environment:
- Researchers are developing , some of which can even absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Advances in lumber engineering and manufacturing have made it possible to construct large scale structures from wood. Because wood contains sequestered carbon, this could be meaningful for mitigation efforts. A 2014 study found that using more sustainably harvested wood and less concrete in construction could .
- Researchers are also currently exploring . This raises the exciting possibility that we may one day construct landscapes and buildings out of recycled atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Organizations
Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES)
Resources
, UNFCCC
, Meg Calkins, FË¿¹ÏÊÓƵ for Landscape Architecture Magazine, June 2017
Designing our Future: Sustainable Landscapes, American Society of Landscape Architects
, The Dirt blog, June 15, 2010
, Blaine Brownell for Architect Magazine, October 4, 2017
, Blaine Brownell for Architect Magazine, December 14, 2017
, The Dirt blog, November 27, 2013
Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Design Guide for Sustainable Residential Design: Using Low-Impact Materials, American Society of Landscape Architects
Research
, Chadwick Dearing Oliver et al, Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2014
, The Dirt blog, April 7, 2017
Projects
200 5th Avenue, New York City, New York
Landworks Studio, Inc.
Le Petit Chalet, Southwest Harbor, ME
Cunningham Landscape Design LLC
At the Hudson's Edge: Beacon's Long Dock a Resilient Waterfront Park, Beacon, NY
Reed Hilderbrand LLC
The Rivermark, Sacramento, CA
Fletcher Studio
Shoemaker Green, Philadelphia, PA
Andropogon Associates Ltd.
West Texas Ranch, Marfa, Texas
Ten Eyck Landscape Architects
, Washington, D.C.
Andropogon Associates Ltd.