Sustainable Landscape Design

Green building doesn’t stop at the walls. Sustainable landscape design is a key piece of environmentally responsible architecture, and can include strategies from the kind of plants selected for the yard of a green home to the materials used in the sidewalks surrounding a green commercial building.

One key principle of sustainable landscape design is that each building site is different, with a unique set of green design choices that can result in a smaller impact on the environment, as well as more efficient use of energy and resources. At Paul Cataldo Architecture & Planning PC, our team can tailor a sustainable landscape design to your individual project based on its unique needs and opportunities.

Why Choose Sustainable Landscape Design?

  • Reduced energy costs: Certain aspects of sustainable landscape design, like gray water irrigation and green roofs, can greatly reduce energy costs
  • Smaller carbon footprint: Tactics such as repurposing pre-existing materials as landscape materials can reduce overall waste and lessen the building’s environmental impact
  • LEED certification: If your green building project is pursuing LEED certification, green landscape architecture is essential to achieving valuable credits in several key LEED categories
  • Reduced water usage: Choosing drought-resistant indigenous plantings and reducing turf areas can dramatically reduce water consumption
  • Reduce Storm Water Run-off:  Pervious hardscape surfaces can have the same storm water absorption rates as soft-scaped areas, reducing the load on sewer systems and reducing polluted run-off in local waterways

Ways to Achieve Sustainable Landscape Design

Reduce water consumption

  • Drought-resistant landscape
  • Native plants suited for the environment
  • Rainwater collection for irrigation
  • Graywater irrigation systems

Reduce stormwater runoff

  • Erosion control
  • Sustainable storm water management
  • Using permeable pavers (instead of concrete sidewalks)
  • Rain gardens

Reduce energy costs & urban heat island effects

  • Green roofs
  • Bioswales
  • Windbreaks

Reduce overall waste

  • Choose sustainably harvested or reclaimed wood for decking
  • Using recycled products (rubber from tires, glass, etc.) in landscape materials
  • Composting in soil management

Would you like to learn more about which of these sustainable landscape design strategies are right for your green building project? Contact us today!

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