Environmental Building NewsTM The Leading Newsletter on Environmentally Responsible Design & Construction

A Publication of BuildingGreen, Inc. www.BuildingGreen.com Volume 14, Number 7 · July 2005

Natural Landscaping In This Issue

Native and Planting Strategies for Green Development Feature Article ...... 1 • Natural Landscaping: Native HROUGHOUT We examine the benefi ts of natural (native) Plants and Planting Strate- today, the dominant landscaping aes- landscaping, explore some strategies that gies for Green Development thetic is a broad, open punctu- can be employed in replacing nonnative T From the Editors ...... 2 ated by and . While this land- turf with naturalized , and take scaping system has been engrained into us a look at some new issues and trends—such • EBN Turns Over a New Leaf through our culture and media, it creates as a new method for assessing the quality • Transitions at EBN an ecologically depleted landscape that of plantings. mail@BuildingGreen .. 2 requires signifi cant amounts of resources While the specifi cs of natural landscaping and chemicals to maintain, especially in • Green Guide Pilot Still vary widely from region to region (such Accepting Projects dry . diversity is the very essence of natural What’s Happening ...... 3 This article addresses a different, natural landscaping), the basic principles apply approach to landscaping—an approach coast-to-coast and can be employed on • AIA Recognizes Ecoliteracy in Architecture Schools that not only provides important habi- sites ranging from large, rural, university tat for wildlife but also dramatically re- campuses to tiny, inner-city, residential • USGBC Prepares for LEED Homes Pilot duces the environmental burdens associ- back-yard lots and even rooftops. ated with lawn care and saves money. • McDonough Braungart Launches Cradle to Cradle A Short History of the Lawn Certifi cation Program Most Americans strive to emulate a land- • Newsbriefs scape from 18th Century England, where Awards broad, open pastoral vistas were main- & Competitions ..... 7 tained by wealthy landowners. In North America, Frederick Law Olmsted, the pio- Product News neering landscape architect and designer of & Reviews ...... 8 New York City’s Central Park, popularized • New Options in Offi ce this landscape. According to John Ingram, Seating author of When Cities Grow Wild (available • Product Brief online at www.for-wild.org), Olmsted’s From the Library ...... 14 Riverside development on the outskirts of • Two New Books on Chicago was one of the fi rst suburban resi- Green Roofs dential developments to mandate broad, open with scattered trees and houses Calendar ...... 16 set well back from the sidewalk. “Riverside set the tone for suburban landscape devel- opment,” according to Ingram. “Although Quote of the month: Olmsted felt strongly about people having “You don’t fi nd contact with nature, his was an ecologically landscapes that aren’t While most green roofs in North America have been denuded celebration of nature.” in need of signifi cant planted with European sedums or other nonnative restoration.” plants, Conservation Design Forum is experiment- Our image of the ideal lawn has been fur- ing with native plants adapted to thin soils. Pictured ther refi ned by advertising from the likes Leslie Sauer, author and landscape architect, on is the green roof atop the Chicago City Hall, where of Scotts, Monsanto, Ortho, ChemLawn, establishing natural landscapes the company has been testing the success rates of various species. Photo: Conservation Design Forum, Inc. (continued on p. 9) (page 12) From the Editors — mail@BuildingGreen

Environmental Building News Executive Editor · Alex Wilson Editor · Nadav Malin From the Editors Senior Editor · Jessica Boehland Associate Editor · Mark Piepkorn Editorial Intern · Rachel Auerbach EBN Turns Over a New Leaf Transitions at EBN Art Director · Julia Jandrisits Marketing Director · Susan Way Although it may look the same, the This issue represents Dan’s last as Outreach Director · Jerelyn Wilson EBN you hold in your hands—unless publisher of EBN, as family matters Director of Online Services · Jim Newman you are reading this online or printed are taking him away from Brattleboro. Webmaster · Ethan Goldman GreenSpec Manager · Angela Battisto it out yourself—is printed on a new On paper choices and a myriad of Financial Manager · Willie Marquart (well, sort-of new) paper. New Leaf other matters, Dan has been a fearless Circulation Department Opaque, the paper we’ve used since leader, and we’ll miss him. For the Charlotte Snyder, Mgr. · Martha Swanson February 2002, is now made from 100% time being, publisher responsibilities Advisory Board post-consumer recycled material. The will fall to Alex Wilson as executive John Abrams, Chilmark, MA prior formulation was 60% post-con- editor. But responsibility for market- Bob Berkebile, FAIA, Kansas City, MO John Boecker, AIA, Harrisburg, PA sumer content, 20% post-industrial ing BuildingGreen’s products, which Terry Brennan, Rome, NY content, and 20% virgin paper. defi ned much of Dan’s efforts, will fall Bill Browning, Hon. AIA, Rappahannock, VA to our newly hired marketing director, Nancy Clanton, P.E., Boulder, CO Compared to virgin paper, using Raymond Cole, Ph.D., Vancouver, BC Susan Way. David Eisenberg, Tucson, AZ New Leaf Opaque for a year of print- Harry Gordon, FAIA, Washington, DC ing EBN will save approximately 70 Susan brings a wealth of market- John L. Knott, Jr., Dewees Island, SC trees, more than 30,000 gallons of ing experience and common sense to Malcolm Lewis, Ph.D., P.E., Irvine, CA Gail Lindsey, FAIA, Raleigh, NC water, and more than 50 million Btus the position, most recently from her Joseph Lstiburek, P.E., Westford, MA of energy. It will result in almost 3,400 work at Yankee Publishing, where Sandra Mendler, AIA, San Francisco, CA pounds (1,540 kg) less solid waste, she oversaw marketing of The Old Greg Norris, Ph.D., N. Berwick, ME Russell Perry, AIA, Charlottesville, VA 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg) fewer green- Farmer’s Almanac and other products. Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, Austin, TX house emissions, and 200 pounds (90 We’re excited to have her on board! Bill Reed, AIA, Arlington, MA kg) less hazardous effl uent. Jonathan Rose, Katonah, NY – The Editors Marc Rosenbaum, P.E., Meriden, NH – Dan Woodbury, Publisher Michael Totten, Washington, DC Gail Vittori, Austin, TX

ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING NEWS (ISSN 1062- 3957) is published monthly by BuildingGreen, Inc. EBN does not accept advertising. Subscriptions are $99/year, $199 for companies with 25 or more em- ployees. Outside North America add $30. Periodicals mail@BuildingGreen postage paid at Brattleboro, Vt. and at additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Environmental Building News, 122 Birge St., Ste 30, Green Guide Pilot Still Council’s LEED® Healthcare core Brattleboro, VT 05301. committee is following the Green Copyright © 2005, BuildingGreen, Inc. All rights Accepting Projects reserved. No material in this newsletter may be Guide Pilot closely. photocopied, electronically transmitted, or otherwise Kudos to EBN for a superb article reproduced by any means without written permission There is no fee to participate in the from the Publisher. However, license to photocopy on the greening of healthcare [Vol. Green Guide Pilot. We anticipate the items for internal use or by institutions of higher educ- 14, No. 6]. You did an excellent job Pilot to run until mid-year 2006. We tion as part of collective works is granted, provided of describing how these projects are that the appropriate fee is paid directly to Copyright are seeking a range of project scale, Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Dr., Danvers, bringing health concerns into green medical project type, and geographic MA 01923, USA; 978-750-8400. building in ways that will have im- distribution. We plan to limit registra- Disclaimer portant implications for the rest of the tion to 100 projects but will be review- Every effort has been made to ensure that the infor- building industry. mation presented in EBN is accurate and that design ing this based upon the progress of and construction details meet generally accepted Members of project design teams who the projects engaged in the pilot pro- standards. However, the information presented in EBN, by itself, should not be relied on for fi nal design, are interested in shaping the future cess. More information on the Green engineering, or building decisions. New or unusual of green healthcare should consider Guide Pilot and Forum can be found details should be discussed with building offi cials, at www.gghc.org. architects, and/or engineers. participating in the Green Guide for Health Care Pilot. The online Forum Editorial & Subscription Offi ce Tom Lent is an excellent way to learn from your 122 Birge St., Suite 30, Brattleboro, VT 05301 Green Guide for Health Care peers and provide your own experi- 802-257-7300 · 802-257-7304 (fax) Steering Committee [email protected] · www.BuildingGreen.com ences and insights to the development Berkeley, California Printed on New Leaf Opaque paper, 100% post-consumer of the Guide. The U.S. Green Building

2 Environmental Building News · July 2005 What’s Happening

What’s Happening

AIA Recognizes Ecoliteracy Faculty Activism,” submitted by James Wasley. Wasley’s program in- in Architecture Schools tegrates into a pro- The American Institute of Architects fessional practice course and actively engages students in the development Committee on the Environment (AIA Rendering: Magic Bus Team COTE) has an initiative underway to of design solutions for real projects Students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo promote the teaching of environmen- (most recently, a new Environmental designed this free public transit system tal awareness and ecological design at Programs building for the University connecting the campus to the city. schools of architecture. This “Ecolit- of Wisconsin’s Madison campus). eracy Project,” supported by the Tides University of Tennessee - College School University, Department of Foundation, seeks to identify leaders of Architecture and Design for its Architecture—Issues and Practices in the fi eld and disseminate informa- Seminar in Architectural Technol- in Modern Architecture and Urban- tion about replicable approaches to ogy and Technological Traditions, ism, submitted by Jean Gardner; encourage the teaching of sustainable submitted by Mark DeKay and Ted • University of Hawaii School of design. A comprehensive report on Shelton. DeKay is coauthor of the Architecture—Environmental this program, due out in fall 2005, will second edition of G. Z. Brown’s Sun, Design/Mechanical Systems/En- feature exemplary initiatives identi- Wind, and Light, a book that showed vironmental Systems Laboratory, fi ed by the committee. up on nearly every reading list and submitted by Stephen Meder; To solicit information about activities was a standard text at more than • Mississippi State University Col- half the schools that submitted pro- at the schools, COTE created a compe- lege of Architecture—Passive grams (see review in EBN Vol. 11, tition with an award of $3,000 to each Building Systems, submitted by No. 4). DeKay and Shelton’s course winning program. The committee Michael Berk; and sought submittals for curricula focus- highlights bioclimatic differences by ing on environmental foundations asking students to design projects • Kansas State University Depart- in architecture, integrated systems for two climates using the same pro- ment of Architecture—systems design, and sustainable grammatic requirements. and theory courses and studios, submitted by Gary Coates. design. COTE received 48 submis- The projects receiving special recog- sions, from which it selected three nition were: One key fi nding of the program to winners. The committee cited eight date is that, while courses on vari- • Ball State University College of more programs for special recogni- ous aspects of ecological design are Architecture and Planning/CE- tion. The winners were: useful, the ultimate goal must be to RES—Graduate Design Studio integrate sustainability into design California Polytechnic State Uni- and Greening of the Campus, studios. In most programs, at least versity San Luis Obispo - College submitted by Robert Koester; of Architecture and Environmen- 90% of students’ course time is spent tal Design for its program entitled • Clemson University School of on studio activities, according to Viv- “Sustainable Environments and Im- Architecture—Animated Archi- ian Loftness, Ph.D., FAIA, of Carnegie plementing Sustainable Principles,” tecture: MArch Thesis Research Mellon University, chair of COTE. submitted by Jonathan Reich. This and Design Studio, submitted by Only by blending the teaching of de- program consists of an ecological core Keith Evan Green; sign creativity with that of social re- curriculum for both undergraduate • University of Virginia School of sponsibility, environmental sustain- and graduate students that draws Architecture—ecoMOD low-in- ability, and technological innovation from programs throughout the uni- come house design-build project, will it be possible to overcome the versity. Each year a different subject submitted by John Quale; perception that sustainable design is is selected—the submittal focused on separate from good design. – NM transportation solutions for the cam- • University of Minnesota Depart- For more information: pus and surrounding community. ment of Architecture—Master of Science in Architecture: Sustain- Erika Taylor, Project Manager, University of Wisconsin - Milwau- able Design Track, submitted by Professional Practice kee School of Architecture and Ur- Mary Guzowski; The American Institute of Architects ban Planning for “Comprehensive Washington, DC • Parsons School of Design at New Green Design and Student Work/ 202-626-7407 [email protected]

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 3 What’s Happening

USGBC Prepares for LEED • Michigan: The Alliance for tion Systems, in the growing fi eld Homes Pilot Environmental Sustainability of EPP certifi cation (see EBN Vol. 12, • New Jersey: MaGrann Associates No. 11 for more on EPP programs Fortifi ed by a $375,000 grant from and certifi cations). The Home Depot Foundation, the • Northeast: The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation; Conserva- The C2C protocol is based on the U.S. Green Building Council (USG- principle that all products should BC) is preparing to launch a pilot test tion Services Group, Inc.; the Center for Ecological Technology; Fore So- be made using materials that can be of the LEED® for Homes (LEED-H) lutions; Horizon Residential Energy recycled indefi nitely with minimal rating system. Although the rating Services, LLC; and What’s Working, environmental impact. Inspired by system itself is currently undergoing Inc. natural systems, in which nutrients a technical review by USGBC com- are recycled indefinitely (waste = mittees, regional “Program Provid- • Oklahoma: Guaranteed Watt Saver Systems, Inc. food), MBDC promotes the use of ers” have been selected, and the pilot “technical nutrients,” which are recy- is expected to begin this summer. • Pennsylvania: The Energy Coordi- clable in industrial systems, and bio- In addition to supporting the pilot, nating Agency of Philadelphia and logical nutrients, which are reused the Home Depot Foundation grant the Philadelphia University School in nature. This recyclability requires provides for a special Initiative for of Architecture that biological nutrients and techni- Affordable Housing to facilitate the • Texas: Contects Consultants & cal nutrients not be intermingled in use of LEED-Homes in that market. Architects and the Metropolitan a product and that all ingredients be The grant also includes a venue at Partnership for Energy screened for potential effects on hu- the Greenbuild International Confer- – JB and NM man or ecological health. ence to announce The Home Depot C2C certifi cation criteria are divided Foundation’s inaugural Awards of For more information: into fi ve categories: Excellence for Affordable Housing U.S. Green Building Council Built Responsibly. www.usgbc.org 1. Materials—all ingredients are identifi ed down to 100 parts per With LEED-H, USGBC is also intro- McDonough Braungart million, and those with adverse ducing a new certifi cation model. effects on human or environmen- As opposed to existing LEED sys- Launches Cradle to Cradle tal health are avoided. tems, where the certification pro- Certifi cation Program 2. Material reutilization and design cess is managed by USGBC staff in for the environment—the prod- Washington, D.C., LEED-H will be Having helped manufacturers large uct is identifi ed as a technical or administered primarily by regional and small redesign their products biological nutrient and can be re- for the “next industrial revolution,” Program Providers. Each Provider cycled or remanufactured into new McDonough Braungart Design will train home raters and builders in products of equal or higher value. green building techniques and LEED Chemistry (MBDC) has now created requirements, test the LEED-H pilot a product certifi cation program. The 3. Energy—energy use in manu- rating system to ensure its practical- new program recognizes products facturing is characterized, and ity and effectiveness, and verify that that conform to MBDC’s Cradle to renewable, low-impact energy homes built under the rating system Cradle™ (C2C) protocol (see EBN sources are used to manufacture the product. meet LEED-H requirements. Vol. 11, No. 5). MBDC aims to re- lease the fi rst certifi ed products on 4. Water—water flows in manu- One team was selected as a LEED-H September 1, 2005. facturing are characterized, and Program Provider for each region. water is not polluted in its use. The selected teams are: The C2C certifi cation program seeks to be recognized by government 5. Social responsibility—corporate • Arizona: The Scottsdale Green agencies and others as an identifi er ethics and fair labor practices are Building Program of environmentally preferable prod- published, and a third-party sys- • California: Davis Energy Group, Inc. ucts (EPP). Prior to launching this tem for social responsibility is being implemented. • Colorado: E-Star Colorado and Built program, MBDC worked with the Green Colorado Institute for Market Transformation Depending on how a product per- to Sustainability (MTS) on its Sus- forms in these categories, it can be • Florida: The Florida Solar Ener- tainable Textile Standard, but that certifi ed at a Silver, Gold, or Plati- gy Center and the University of collaboration fell apart in 2003. C2C num level. A parallel program for Central Florida certifi cation now appears poised to certifying materials in addition to • Georgia: Southface Energy compete with MTS and with EPP products has been scaled back, but Institute programs from Scientifi c Certifi ca- C2C includes a level of certifi cation

4 Environmental Building News · July 2005 What’s Happening

Newsbriefs Stream—the sinking of supercooled water in the Greenland Sea—has Pew Center Investigates Build- weakened to less than a quarter of its ings—The Pew Center on Global former strength,” the article reports. Change has released “To- If the slowing continues, “the effect wards a Climate-Friendly Built En- will be to cool the climate of north- vironment,” a report examining the ern Europe,” according to Peter Wad- relationship between buildings and hams, professor of ocean physics at gas (GHG) emissions. Cambridge University, who reported Written by a team from the Oak Ridge Photo: Victor Innovatex Inc. the fi ndings. The article points out Eco Intelligent™ polyester from Victor National Laboratory, the report notes that Britain sits at the same latitude Innovatex, shown here, is certifi ed by MBDC that “simply bringing current build- as Siberia and that the Gulf Stream as a “technical nutrient” which means it ing practices up to the level of best currently “transports 27,000 times can be recycled indefi nitely. practices would yield tremendous more heat to British shores than all energy and cost savings,” but that the nation’s power supplies could both an integrated approach and a below Silver for “technical/biological provide, warming Britain by 5–8°C broad view of the building sector nutrients.” Two materials—Solutia’s [9–14°F].” are needed. The report also stresses Ultron® nylon fi ber and Victor Inno- the role of government: “Buildings vatex’s Eco Intelligent™ fabric—had in the U.S. could become net low- Investors Concerned about Cli- already been certifi ed under an early GHG energy exporters [in the next 50 mate Change—Two dozen U.S. and version of that program and are now years],” according to the Pew Center, European institutional investors being merged into the new system, “but government policies are essen- managing more than $3.2 trillion according to Jay Bolus, director of tial to provide clear policy direction have joined with the United Na- science and operations at MBDC. in order to drive the massive public tions in calling on U.S. companies, The fee charged to manufacturers and private investments and choices Wall Street fi rms, and the Securi- for C2C certifi cation varies with the necessary to enable such a future.” ties and Exchange Commission to complexity of the product, based on The full report can be downloaded analyze and disclose the fi nancial the number of ingredients that must from www.pewclimate.org. risks posed by climate change. The be reviewed. Bolus expects that fees investors also pledged to invest $1 will range from about $10,000 for a billion in clean technologies over simple product to as much as $60,000 Schwarzenegger Flexes Muscle the next year. The Call for Action for a product with many parts, such on Climate Change—California was spurred in part by an acknowl- as an offi ce chair. C2C is quite sophis- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger edgment from the world’s biggest ticated in terms of technical criteria, signed an executive order in June reinsurance companies that 2004 set in part because MBDC has consulted 2005 committing the state to reduce a new record for insured losses due for most (if not all) of the companies its greenhouse gases to 2000 levels to natural catastrophes—estimated that are likely to seek certifi cation. by 2010. While this short-term goal at $44 billion. For more information, Given the potential for conflict of is only about half as aggressive as go to www.unfoundation.org and interest between a consulting and compliance with the Kyoto Protocol search for “Call for Action.” a certification role, C2C lacks the would be, the governor’s longer-term integrity of a true third-party cer- goals are ambitious. California will tifi cation program. Bolus notes that reduce its emissions to 1990 levels Climate Change Thins Ozone Lay- the intent was not so much to create by 2020, according to the order, and er—During the 2004-2005 winter, a formal certifi cation program: “It’s to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. “I the ozone layer reached the thinnest more about putting something out say the debate is over,” said Schwar- level ever recorded, according to there that is a tangible illustration of zenegger. “We know the science. We a study by Cambridge University know the time for action is now.” our philosophy,” he says. – NM and reported April 27 in the Guard- ian newspaper. “We thought things For more information: would start to get better because of Gulf Stream Shows Signs of Slow- Jay Bolus, Director of Science and the phasing out of CFCs and other Operations ing—Climate researchers have re- chemicals because of the Montreal McDonough Braungart Design ported a weakening of the mecha- protocol,” says Cambridge Profes- Chemistry, LLC nism that keeps Great Britain temper- sor John Pyle, “but this has not hap- Chalottesville, Virginia ate, the Times of London reported on pened.” The thinning is blamed not 434-295-0204 x222 May 8, 2005. “They have found that [email protected] on pollution but on climate change, www.mbdc.com/certifi ed.html one of the ‘engines’ driving the Gulf which has increased the number of

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 5 What’s Happening

stratospheric ice clouds in the winter. ASHRAE Releases Commissioning Francisco can encourage market de- These clouds foster chemical reac- Guideline—The American Society velopment of new products which tions that destroy ozone. The ozone of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air- are healthier and more environmen- layer protects Earth’s surface from Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) tally friendly,” according to Sophie the sun’s ultraviolet rays. According has released a new Guideline 0-2005, Maxwell, who authored the bill. This to the United Nations, skin cancer “The Commissioning Process,” which is the fi rst ordinance of its kind in rates rise 2–3% for every 1% thin- describes how to verify that a facility the nation, but city offi cials hope the ning of the ozone layer. Thinning of and its systems meet the owner’s proj- law will serve as a model for other the ozone layer also reduces the rate ect requirements. The guideline will cities. Details are online at www. of photosynthesis in plants, poten- be used by the National Institute for ci.sf.ca.us. tially reducing the yield of , and Building Sciences (NIBS) as its Total it kills phytoplankton, which store Building Commissioning Process carbon in the ocean, among other Guideline. It is also intended to be San Francisco Named America’s ecological consequences. the foundation for a series of com- Most Sustainable City—The non- missioning guidelines dealing with profi t SustainLane has released the specifi c disciplines (HVAC and refrig- results of a study ranking 25 U.S. Energy-10 Software Updated— eration, envelope, lighting, and fi re cities based on performance in 12 The latest release of Energy-10™, protection) to be issued by ASHRAE sustainability categories: transpor- the leading energy-modeling and NIBS. ASHRAE Guideline tation, air quality, tap-water quality, tool for small commercial 0-2005 is available for $59 LEED® buildings, food and agricul- buildings, provides im- ($49 ASHRAE mem- ture, zoning, land use, solid-waste di- proved integration bers) by calling 800- version rate, land-use planning, city with window data 527-4723 or online at innovation, energy and climate, and from the National www.ashrae.org. knowledge base. San Francisco and Fenestration Rating Portland, Oregon, in a virtual tie, led Council (NFRC) and the pack by a wide margin. Bringing includes the ability Aircraft Noise Slows up the rear were Detroit and, mark- to model some ad- Learning—Each fi ve- edly worse, Houston. “We don’t mind ditional HVAC system decibel increase in sharing what we know and what types. Developed primar- aircraft noise can delay a we’ve learned, but let’s throw down a ily by the National Renewable child’s reading ability by two green gauntlet,” says Portland Mayor Energy Laboratory (NREL), Energy-10 months, according to a study of chil- Tom Potter, encouraging friendly is distributed exclusively by the dren living near airports in Europe, competition. To compare scores and Sustainable Buildings Industry published in the June 4, 2005, issue learn about the methodology behind Council, which also provides train- of The Lancet. “In practical terms, them, visit www.sustainlane.org. ing and technical support. The new aircraft noise might have only a small version 1.7 is available for purchase effect on the development of reading, HOK Funds Clinic in Kenya—In at www.energy-10.com. but the effect of long-term exposure remains unknown,” says Stephen recognition of its 50th anniversa- Stansfeld, who led the research. The ry, the architecture fi rm Hellmuth, FSC and FPS Release Guide to study is available online at www. Obata + Kassabaum, Inc. (HOK) has Using FSC-Certifi ed Wood—In part- thelancet.com. For information on agreed to donate $500,000 to the nership with Forest Products Solu- building for noise management, see construction upgrades, outfitting, tions, the Forest Stewardship Council EBN Vol. 10, No. 1. staffi ng, and launch of a solar-pow- (FSC) has released “Designing and ered diagnostic and treatment center Building with FSC,” a guide designed that the nonprofi t Infectious to help building owners and green San Francisco Requires Environ- Disease Village Clinics, Inc., is build- building professionals specify, build mentally Responsible Purchas- ing in rural Mbirikani, Kenya. “In with, and account for the use of FSC- ing—San Francisco Mayor Gavin its broadest sense, sustainability is certifi ed products. It includes back- Newsom signed the “Precautionary about creating healthy, responsible, ground information, case studies, Purchasing Ordinance” into law in and economically viable communi- and sample specifi cation language, June 2005, requiring city depart- ties, which can mean ensuring that ments to consider public health and basic human needs, such as access to among other resources. The guide environmental responsibility when quality healthcare, are satisfi ed,” says can be downloaded at www.fscus. making purchases, which amount Bill Valentine, chairman of HOK. org/green_building. to about $600 million each year. “By More information about the clinic is exercising our economic power, San at www.aidvillageclinics.org.

6 Environmental Building News · July 2005 What’s Happening — Awards & Competitions

seeking proposals to develop, dem- projects. Zimmerman has returned onstrate, or commercialize innova- to his former work with the British tive building products and systems. Columbia Buildings Corporation. Eligible projects must be new tech- Taking Zimmerman’s place as presi- nologies or substantial improvements dent is Thomas Mueller, currently to existing technologies, according to division manager of business and NYSERDA, and must yield energy community services at the Greater and environmental benefi ts in New Vancouver Regional District. Mueller York State. NYSERDA plans to award has previously served as a director of up to $750,000 through several awards CaGBC, chair of its intergovernmen- of up to $200,000 each; projects are tal committee, chair of the LEED-BC expected to match NYSERDA’s fund- steering committee (see EBN Vol. 13,

Photo: AID Village Clinics ing. Proposals are due September 12, No. 5), chair of CaGBC’s Vancouver The Mbirikani Clinic in southeastern rural 2005. For details, visit www.nyserda. branch, and a board member of the Kenya will be equipped to screen patients for org and search for PON 934. U.S. Green Building Council’s Casca- tuberculosis and other diseases with the new dia chapter. Mueller offi cially begins HOK Diagnostic and Treatment Center. work on July 6, 2005. CaGBC Announces New Presi- dent—The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has bid farewell to Vermont Sets Green Power Require- Court Upholds Construction Gen- Alex Zimmerman, who had served ment—Vermont Governor Jim Doug- eral Permit—In a June 13, 2005, de- as president of the nonprofi t organi- las signed a bill in June 2005 requiring cision, the U.S. Court of Appeals’ zation since August 2003. “I can’t say retail electricity providers to meet Seventh Circuit upheld the U.S. Envi- enough about Alex’s contributions all growth in demand through new ronmental Protection Agency’s Con- to the CaGBC,” says Joe Van Bel- renewable resources or renewable en- struction General Permit (CGP). This leghem, cofounder of the Council, ergy credits. The law affects growth permit streamlines the permitting noting that CaGBC now boasts more through 2011. To read the bill, visit process, allowing property owners than 900 members and 140 registered www.leg.state.vt.us (search bill S.52). and contractors to discharge storm- water runoff from their sites with- out obtaining individual permits or undergoing public hearings. The Natural Resources Defense Coun- Awards & Competitions cil (NRDC) fought against the CGP, claiming it violates portions of the Endangered Species and Clean Water FSC and FPS Announce Design Acts. The National Association of Award—The Forest Stewardship Green Remodeling Wins Nauti- Home Builders, the Associated Gen- Council (FSC) and Forest Products lus Book Award—Green Remodel- eral Contractors of America (AGC), Solutions have announced a call ing: Changing the World One Room and the Wisconsin Builders’ Asso- for submissions for the fi rst annual at a Time, by David Johnston and ciation are celebrating the decision: Designing and Building with FSC in the words of AGC CEO Stephen Award. Projects will be judged on the Kim Master, won the and Sandherr, “the industry would have use of wood, inclusion of FSC-certi- Environment category of the 2005 ground to a halt” if individual hear- fi ed wood, efforts to progress certi- Nautilus Book Awards. Created ings were required for each construc- fied forest products market trans- and produced by Marilyn Mc- tion project. Nancy Stoner, director formation, overall wood design, and Guire & Associates, Inc., and spon- of the NRDC’s Clean Water Project, appropriate wood use. To be eligible, sored by Body & Soul Magazine, the warns that, because the CGP was the project must have been completed awards honor books “that contribute upheld, “we’ll continue to see deg- during or since 2002, and at least half significantly to conscious living radation as a result of construction of its new wood, by cost, must have and positive social change.” “The and development that’s not consistent been FSC certifi ed. The award is open ultimate walk-your-talk book, with the Clean Water Act.” to any project team member for any Green Remodeling marries con- type of building. Submissions are due science and application with the September 16, 2005, and winners will skill of a master craftsman,” accord- NYSERDA Announces Grants for be announced during the USGBC’s ing to the judges. For a review of New Technologies—The New York Greenbuild conference in November. Green Remodeling, see EBN Vol. 14, State Energy Research and Devel- Details and application forms are No. 4. The full list of winners is at opment Authority (NYSERDA) is online at www.fscus.org. www.publishersshowcase.com.

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 7 Product News & Reviews

Haworth, Inc. Holland, Michigan 616-393-3000 Product News & Reviews www.haworth.com Knoll, Inc. New Options in Offi ce from $564 to $984, it is priced 10% to East Greenville, Pennsylvania 15% lower than the Mirra chair. 877-615-6655 Seating www.knoll.com The Zody™ chair from Haworth was Several manufacturers featured new also created to conform with the offi ce chairs with strong environmen- MBDC protocol. It features a patented tal pedigrees at the 2005 NeoCon® Product Brief asymmetrical lumbar support that al- tradeshow in Chicago. Following lows for separate adjustments to each Philips and Novaled Break OLED in the footsteps of Herman Miller’s side of the back, and sophisticated Efficiency Record—Royal Philips Mirra chair, launched in 2003 (see armrest adjustments. Haworth claims Electronics and Novaled GmbH have EBN Vol. 12, No. 6), and Steelcase’s that the chair contains up to 50% recy- reached a new record in the effi cien- Think™ chair from 2004, several cled content (depending on options), cy of high-brightness, white, organic chairs were designed based on the and is “up to 98%” recyclable. The light-emitting diodes (OLEDs, or Cradle-to-Cradle™ protocol from Mc- factory in which it is manufactured is light-emitting polymers). The com- Donough Braungart Design Chemis- wind-energy powered and ISO 14001 panies have achieved 25 lumens per try (MBDC)—see the related article certifi ed. It lists for $720 to $1,090. watt at a brightness of 1,000 candela on page 4. All the new offerings are, per square meter. “This is an encour- or will soon be, Greenguard™ certi- Knoll’s Chadwick™ chair was de- aging result that clearly demonstrates fi ed for low chemical emissions, and signed in accordance with the com- the potential of OLED technology for all are priced at the middle to low pany’s own Environmental Design lighting applications,” says Klass range for offi ce seating. Guide. Like many of the others, it has Vegter, chief technology offi cer of a mesh back and seat, which allow Herman Miller’s newest introduction lamps at Philips. “We are confi dent for air circulation to enhance com- is the Cella chair, which has a seat that this is not the end of the develop- fort while avoiding the diffi culties of and back made of a porous, pliable, ment and that OLEDs will establish procuring foam without brominated plastic mesh of cells and loops. Cella themselves as the second solid-state fl ame retardants. Chadwick is also contains 33% recycled content, is 99% lighting technology in the market,” designed for disassembly, and Knoll recyclable, and can be disassembled following LEDs. OLEDs use thin claims an overall recycled content rate using common hand tools in fi ve min- layers of organic material to generate of 41%. It lists for $705 to $930. – NM utes, according to the company. It is light when power is supplied. For fully adjustable, with a wide range of For more information: more on lamp technologies, includ- options, including the same Latitude ing solid-state technologies, see EBN Herman Miller, Inc. Vol. 11, No. 6. The companies are on- upholstery that is available on Mirra Zeeland, Michigan chairs. It is manufactured using green 888-443-4357 line at www.philips.com and www. electricity. With a list price ranging www.hermanmiller.com novaled.com.

Photo: Herman Miller, Inc. Photo: Knoll, Inc. Photo: Haworth, Inc. The Cella chair from Herman Miller. The Chadwick chair from Knoll. The Zody chair from Haworth.

8 Environmental Building News · July 2005 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping

Natural Landscaping (from page 1) Coalition Against the Misuse of Pes- ticides) reports that of 30 commonly used lawn , 13 are probable and hundreds of other companies Watering lawns consumes 30% of or known carcinogens, 14 are linked that make up the multi-billion-dollar municipal freshwater in the eastern with birth defects, 18 have reproduc- lawn-care industry in North Ameri- U.S. and 60% in the West. A U.S. tive effects, 20 may cause liver or ca. We have been taught to strive for News & World Report article reported kidney damage, 18 are considered a of Kentucky bluegrass that a 1,000 square-foot (93 m2) lawn neurotoxins, and 11 are known or (not from Kentucky at all—or even requires, on average, 10,000 gallons suspected endocrine disrupters. A North America, for that matter) and its (37,850 liters) per summer. With 1987 paper in the Journal of the Na- ilk, maintained to a lush, deep green droughts continuing in the West tional Cancer Institute reported that with nary a sprig of native vegetation. and expected to increase in severity the incidence of childhood leukemia 1 We punctuate this turf with periodic as a result of global climate change, is 6 ⁄ 2 times greater among families trees and shrubs, each perched on a this is a growing concern. using lawn pesticides than among those who do not, and a 2004 pa- mound of sterile mulch. To maintain lush lawns, we use a lot per in the Journal of the American of —some 70 million tons (64 What’s Wrong with the million tonnes) per year Conventional Lawn? in the U.S. We use more fertilizer on our lawns Lawns occupy roughly 50 mil- in the U.S. than India lion acres (20 million ha) in North uses on its food crops. America—an area twice the size of Nitrogen are Pennsylvania. Annually in the U.S. produced by converting we spend tens of billions of dollars molecular nitrogen (N2) caring for these lawns. In some areas in the air into ammonia we use over half of our municipal through the Haber-Bosch freshwater to irrigate these lawns, process, which is ex- and we fortify them with millions tremely energy-intensive, of tons of fertilizer and thousands requiring approximately of tons of pesticides. What’s wrong 18,000 Btus per pound with this picture? (41 GJ/tonne) of primary From an environmental, health, and energy input, which even economic standpoint, a lot is comes primarily from wrong with conventional turf. Main- natural gas. Worldwide, tenance of turf necessitates regular ammonia production ac- mowing during the growing season. counts for approximate- The roughly 90 million lawnmowers, ly 1% of global primary trimmers, leaf blowers, and energy use. other small-engine lawn and Insecticides, , tools in the United States spew out , and other approximately 5% of the nation’s pesticides are a grow- Conventional lawns require inputs of water and energy air pollution, according to the U.S. ing concern with lawns. while causing air, water, and noise pollution. These Dallas Environmental Protection Agency U.S. homeowners use 67 County, Iowa, suburbs are planted with the same lawns as suburbs from Maine to California, despite very different (EPA)—and a good deal more in million pounds (30 mil- climates and soils. Photo: Lynn Betts many metropolitan areas. A typical lion kg) of pesticides on 3.5 horsepower gas mower emits lawns each year, accord- about the same quantity of volatile ing to EPA. Our suburban lawns and Veterinary Medicine Association found organic compounds (VOCs) in one receive heavier that certain dogs are four to seven hour as a late-model car driven 340 applications than our agricultural times more likely to contract blad- miles (550 km), according to the Cali- land: between 3.2 and 9.8 pounds per der cancer if they live in households fornia Air Resources Board. On top of acre (3.6–11 kg/ha) vs. an average of that use lawn herbicides than if they that, EPA estimates that users of such 2.7 pounds per acre (3.0 kg/ha) for live in households that do not—a equipment spill 17 million gallons of agricultural lands. fi nding considered especially signifi - fuel each year—which is more than cant, according to the researchers, be- The nonprofi t organization Beyond the Exxon Valdez oil spill! cause 70% of human bladder cancers Pesticides (previously the National develop from unknown causes.

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 9 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping

Along with the resource and en- Benefi ts of Natural air pollution both locally and region- vironmental burdens of producing ally, thus improving health. And fertilizers and pesticides, a signifi cant Landscaping keeping pollutants out of water sup- portion of these chemicals applied to Just as there are signifi cant environ- plies also protects our health. lawns ends up in stormwater runoff mental burdens and costs associated and in groundwater. According to with conventional turf landscaping, Ecological benefi ts EPA, 40–60% of the nitrogen applied there are benefi ts associated with Increased . Natural to lawns ends up in surface water natural landscaping. The primary landscapes inherently support great- or groundwater. Stormwater runoff benefi ts are described below. er biodiversity than conventional from turf is one of North America’s turf landscapes. Native plants pro- Environmental benefi ts biggest sources of water pollution. vide diverse food and for Noise pollution is another concern. Reduced air pollution. Native land- birds, small mammals, insects, rep- Lawnmowers, weed whackers, scaping generally does not require tiles, and amphibians. In heavily hedge trimmers, and leaf blowers regular mowing, which eliminates developed urban areas, even small cause signifi cant noise pollution, a or greatly reduces the air pollution patches of can be very real but often overlooked health resulting from turf landscapes. There critical in maintaining populations hazard (see EBN Vol. 10, No. 1). can be pollution emissions from of native fauna and fl ora. natural landscaping, however—see Due to the need for all this main- discussion below on pollution from Economic benefi ts tenance, lawns are a huge expense. fi re management. Cost avoidance. Signifi cant savings Homeowners spend roughly $27 bil- in landscape management costs can lion per year on lawn care, according Reduced nutrient runoff. Native be realized by converting lawns to to the National Wildlife Federation landscaping does not require fertil- natural landscapes. While the initial (NWF)—ten times more than we izer, so the runoff and infi ltration of costs of creating natural landscapes spend on school textbooks. At the nutrients is eliminated. Buffers of natural landscaping can be used to can be relatively high, annual op- business level, the lawn care indus- capture runoff from hard surfaces erating costs of established natural try did approximately $61 billion in or less permeable turf to keep the landscapes are generally far lower business in 1997 and has been expe- pollutants in that stormwater from than annual operating costs of lawn riencing roughly 20% annual growth entering surface waters. Keeping area. Operating cost savings were a in recent years. On a per-acre basis, nutrients out of the groundwater primary motivation for the Metro- maintenance costs for mowing, ir- also protects surface waters, because politan Water Reclamation District rigation, and application of fertilizer groundwater surfaces in springs and of Chicago to convert turf area to and pesticides average $1,120 per fl ows into streams and rivers. tall-grass —to date, approxi- year, according to the organization mately 20 acres (8 ha) of turf has been Wild Ones Natural Landscapers. Health benefi ts restored to natural landscape, with For more on lawns and turfgrass, see Reduced pesticide use. Because natu- guidance from Conservation Design EBN Vol. 13, No. 4. ral landscaping involves the establish- Forum of Elmhurst, Illinois. ment of balanced ecosystems, the Downsides of Natural use of herbicides, Landscaping insecticides, and While the arguments for natural other pesticides landscaping are compelling, there is generally not are some challenges: required (though herbicides are of- • The aesthetic palette is more ten used to remove limited. Strict adherence to an all- invasive plants native landscaping program re- during the estab- stricts choices, which many lishment of natu- property owners (as well as land- ral landscapes). scape architects and landscapers) Reduced operation object to. of lawnmowers • Establishing and maintain- Photo: Conservation Design Forum, Inc. and other lawn- ing natural landscapes requires Natural prairie landscaping is projected to save the Metropolitan care-related power Water Reclamation District of Chicago thousands of dollars per new knowledge and skills. year compared with the turf that is being replaced. equipment reduces There are both direct and indirect

10 Environmental Building News · July 2005 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping

costs associated with building from one location these skills, and there is often may not do well inherent resistance to change in in another loca- any profession. tion, because most • Fire management, a key compo- species evolve ge- nent of many—if not most—natu- netic ral landscapes, poses obvious risk to the conditions and liability. These risks gained in a specifi c area. national attention when, on May Native, noninva- 4, 2000, a prescribed burn at Ban- sive plants are delier National Monument in Los ideal for natu- Alamos, New Mexico, got out of ral landscaping hand and burned nearly 48,000 around buildings acres (19,400 ha), destroying 400 because they es- homes and causing more than a tablish balance billion dollars in damage. with other plants Among cypress trees in southern Florida, entomologist Robert and can easily be • Fire management also generates Pemberton examines invasive Old World climbing fern engulfi ng managed. air pollution. Depending on the trees and shrubs. Photo: Peggy Greb type of landscape and the weather Native invasive conditions during a prescribed Nonnative invasive burn, however, these emissions Not all are recom- are usually fairly low, according mended for all landscaping situ- The most problematic plants are to experts EBN spoke with. If only ations. Some native plants, such nonnative plants that become in- dried grasses and forbs are burned as sumac, blackberry, poison ivy, vasive, outcompeting native plants late in the growing season, fi res and hay-scented fern, can be inva- and spreading widely. There are burn quickly with relatively low sive in certain situations. Invasive dozens of well-known invasives, in- pollution emissions. plants spread widely, dominating the cluding kudzu, oriental bittersweet, vegetation in a particular area. honeysuckle, crown vetch, purple Understanding Terminology In certain situations, such species loosestrife, garlic mustard, Japanese A lot of terms get thrown around can be nearly as problematic as ex- knotweed, Eurasian buckthorn, and in green building; the same is true otic invasives—although native in- cheatgrass. Some invasive plants take with landscaping. Here, we try to sects often feed on them, keeping over because no native animals have clarify distinctions between native their populations in check to some adapted to feed on them. Others are and nonnative plants and between extent. Native plants are most like- simply more effi cient photosynthe- invasive and noninvasive plants. We ly to become invasive in situations sizers and grow more robustly than recognize four distinct categories, in which the land is disturbed and their native counterparts. as follows: the ecological balance is disrupted. Assessing the Quality of Native noninvasive Nonnative noninvasive Vegetation According to the organization Nonnative or exotic plant species A relatively new method is being Wild Ones, native or indigenous are those that were introduced from used in some areas to evaluate the plants are those that evolved natu- elsewhere—from outside North quality of vegetative cover: fl oristic rally in North America or in a spe- America, or in some cases from quality assessment. Introduced in 1994 cifi c area of North America (native to outside a more specific region. by the late Floyd Swink and Ger- the Upper Midwest or New England, Thousands of nonnative species are ould Wilhelm, then both with the for example). This means that the grown very successfully around Morton in Lisle, Illinois plants were growing here naturally buildings without spreading beyond (Wilhelm is now with Conservation and not introduced by humans from landscaped environments. Many Design Forum), this is the fi rst sys- distant locations. As such, native garden annuals, many ornamen- tem to quantify the fl oristic quality plants are adapted to the area’s cli- tal trees and shrubs, and most of of vegetation in a natural area. “It mate, precipitation patterns, soils, the specialized plants used on was originally developed in Illinois and other plant and animal com- green roofs are nonnative spe- to classify prairie remnants,” accord- munities. Note that while a particu- cies, but, as long as they do not ing to Diana Lane, Ph.D., a managing lar species may be native to North become invasive, their use can scientist with Stratus Consulting of America, an ecotype of that species be acceptable. Boulder, Colorado.

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 11 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping

The assessment method assigns a in Philadelphia (now practicing on works on. “Most species in North coeffi cient of conservatism of 0 to 10 to her own in New Jersey), is enthusias- America are adapted to fi re, which each plant species, based on its abil- tic about this approach and working was largely a cultural phenomenon,” ity to tolerate disturbed conditions to apply it in the Mid-Atlantic states. according to Patchett (see sidebar). and fidelity to the presettlement She is working on this through the Various experts EBN spoke with em- conditions that are believed to have Bowman’s Hill Wildfl ower Preserve phasized that natural habitat land- existed in the region. A low score, in New Hope, Pennsylvania. With scaping is not about individual plant such as 0 or 1, indicates a species that this floristic assessment method, species but about ecosystems. With can be found almost anywhere and is which she prefers to call the Plant natural landscaping, the goal is to common on disturbed sites. A score Stewardship Index, “you can speci- create balanced, self-sustaining eco- of 9 or 10 indicates a species, such fy a plant maintenance level,” she systems, not just assemblages of in- as an orchid, that is nearly always told EBN. “This is the fi rst sampling dividual native plants. Leslie Sauer restricted to undisturbed, presettle- methodology for monitoring a site.” argues that almost any ment remnants of native ecosystem. The fl oristic quality assessment meth- we fi nd today has been degraded. These coeffi cients of conservatism odology (or plant stewardship index), “You don’t fi nd landscapes that aren’t for plants are developed by bota- once extended throughout North in need of signifi cant restoration,” nists and ecologists based on their America, offers the potential for a she says. collective knowledge of the plants green building rating system, such as and their communities—thus the Sauer doesn’t even worry too much LEED®, to address the health of eco- rankings are subjective but based on about the native–nonnative issue. systems—by providing a credit for a consensus of experts. “The processes of invasion are natu- sites that achieve a certain threshold ral, but we’ve greatly accelerated that Once these coeffi cients of conserva- of fl oristic quality (say 7 or higher). process.” She also believes that some tism have been assigned for a region native species have changed. The (they are regionally specifi c), a site’s Establishing Natural common reed, Phragmites australis, overall floristic quality can be as- Landscapes (previously P. communes) has been sessed by aggregating the conser- here all along, and the plant occupied vatism values for all of the plants The key to establishing natural a very distinct and fairly small eco- present. Thus, it is possible to assess landscapes is careful planning. Con- logical niche in estuaries, according the quality of the plants on a site servation Design Forum prepares a to Sauer, but at some point a nearly and, by extension, the health of the detailed plan for every project it identical plant, a genetic variant of ecosystem. takes on. “This plan outlines the ongoing management and steward- the same species, was introduced To date, coeffi cients of conservatism ship measures that will be conducted and Phragmites became invasive. She have been assigned for plants in each year until the system is well es- thinks the genetic makeup of Phrag- Illinois, northern Ohio, Missouri, tablished and management protocols mites changed, resulting in its inva- Michigan, and Wisconsin. Work is become fairly minimal,” says Jim sive characteristics. being done to extend this work to Patchett, the fi rm’s president. Since Dealing with invasive plants other regions. Leslie Sauer, author of Conservation Design Forum is based the book The Once and Future Forest in the Midwest, annual controlled- Invasive exotic plants are the bane and a founder of the landscape archi- burn management is a part of nearly of natural landscaping. Hundreds tecture fi rm Andropogon Associates every native landscape initiative it of plant species are wreaking havoc in ecosystems throughout North America. In some places, such as the Are Humans Part of the “Natural” Landscape? lower-elevation regions of Hawaii, Many of us in the environmental community consider a natural ecosystem to be one nearly all of the vegetation is non- that humans haven’t messed up. But some ecologists argue that, quite to the contrary, native. Each region of the country humans are a vital part of the natural ecosystems in North America. “Virtually all North has particular invasive plant species American ecosystems have coevolved with humans,” according to Jim Patchett, president that are problematic: from kudzu in of Conservation Design Forum. During the past 10,000 years, he says, humans played a tremendously important role in the development of ecosystems, particularly through their the Southeast to honeysuckle and use of fi re, but also through harvesting of food sources and fuelwood. Japanese knotweed in the Northeast to cheatgrass and garlic mustard in A growing group of experts suggests that taking humans out of the ecosystem is a mistake. the Midwest and West. Katherine Anderson argues in her book Before the Wilderness that California landscapes are collapsing because human involvement has diminished. This has led to confl ict with Strategies for removal of invasive environmentalists, according to Patchett: “It is the epitome of disconnect,” he says, argu- plants all have advantages and ing that the role of people in landscape management is fundamental. “To sever that is a very unnatural process.” disadvantages: hand-pulling is

12 Environmental Building News · July 2005 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping

tion International, to gradually come back. Lane agrees Wild Ones Natu- that this strategy sometimes works, ral Landscapers, but “what you end up with would be and many regional much less controlled than if you did a and local arbore- wholesale replacement.” Also, points tums, native plant out Patchett, in relying on natural re- societies, and of- seeding, you are dependent on what’s fi ces of The Nature growing nearby in the way of native Conservancy. plants. “In most cases, you can’t rely on natural reseeding, because there Converting are very few intact that are turf to natural adjacent to restoration sites,” he says. landscapes Conservation Design Forum uses a combination of seeding and planting A number of ap- of seedling plugs to establish native Land Managers set a prairie burn with drip torches to stimulate proaches can be vegetation. new growth and recycle nutrients at Konza Biological Research taken to convert Station, Manhattan, Kansas. Photo: Jeff Vanuga turf or other in- In designing landscapes that will be vasive vegetation managed with controlled burns, fi re labor-intensive but safe for the to natural (restored) ecosystems. breaks often make sense. “Roads environment; herbicides (such as Conservation Design Forum relies and pathways can provide effective Roundup®) are fast and easy but may on either mechanical means or her- fi re breaks,” according to Patchett. have unintended consequences for bicides, or a combination of the two. His company also often provides other organisms in the ecosystem; “Obviously Roundup, or a similar curtains of turf grass along roadway turning over the soil (to kill turf short-lived , is effective in corridors and around buildings to grass, for example) avoids chemicals the initial eradication process,” says establish discrete burn units and but may damage the soil structure Patchett. But they have also used keep fi re away from buildings. This and soil microorganisms; prescribed a variety of mechanical strategies, can also visually enhance the prairie burns are often the best method to including discing and harrowing. setting, according to Patchett. control invasives and allow the eco- “You can disc the existing turf, let it system to return to a pre-European set for a period of 10–14 days, then Increasing people’s comfort settlement balance, but they cause disc it again.” Through this process, with natural ecosystems safety concerns and air pollution. they have been able to restore prairie Given the American infatuation with without any use of herbicides. Patchett, whose fi rm has been a leader lawns, social and psychological fac- in ecosystem restoration, argues that Lane suggests that in replacing a fast- tors often emerge as barriers to natu- invasive plants are often a symptom growing species like bluegrass, her- ral landscape designs. Joan Nassauer, of the problem, rather than the prob- bicides can be advantageous because Ph.D., FASLA, of the University of lem itself. “Garlic mustard, purple “the stays in the ground Michigan, has researched human loosestrife, reed canary grass, cattails, and helps to prevent erosion.” Sauer responses to various landscape de- Phragmites, and many other nuisance points out in The Once in Future Forest signs. Her research suggests that most plants become established because that it may be possible to simply ease Americans (indeed, people in most of alterations in the habitat that fa- off the mowing to allow native species Western cultures) are uncomfortable vor their establishment, often at the expense of locally native species,” he told EBN. When conditions that favor Dealing with Ticks native species are restored through The idea of having wild area around homes has always raised concerns for some—whether such restoration management tools because of snakes or foxes, spiders or mosquitoes. Now Lyme Disease, borne by the as selective clearing to provide ap- tiny deer tick, has brought these concerns to a fever pitch in some parts of the country— propriate light levels and annual burn particularly the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Interest in controlling ticks is changing the management, the are way many landscapes are managed and—in some heavily tick-infested areas—leading often gradually eliminated. to measures as extreme as paving over fi elds! Far better is the highly targeted control of deer ticks at their nymph stage, when the white- There are a number of excellent books footed mouse is the primary vector. Deer ticks have a two-year life cycle; in the spring and and manuals on ecological restoration, summer of their second year, when they are in the nymph stage, they feed primarily on the as well as a number of organizations white-footed mouse. A new tick-control system, the MaxForce Tick Management System committed to this field, including (www.maxforcetms.com), involves the placement of plastic boxes on a property. Mice enter the Society for Ecological Restora- these boxes and are treated with an insecticide that kills ticks feeding on them. Testing has found an 80% drop in the deer tick population within one year with this system.

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 13 Feature Article: Natural Landscaping — From the Library

with landscapes that they perceive Final Thoughts over the course of a very few years to be wild or unmaintained, but are through reduced management cost. attracted to natural plantings within An underlying goal of green build- – Alex Wilson an obviously managed context. Signs ing is to create structures that exist in of human care and attention to a greater harmony with the environ- For more information: space, whether it is a recently mown ment. It makes sense that we should also strive for that goal with the Conservation Design Forum, Inc. lawn or a freshly painted picket Elmhurst, Illinois fence, represent what Nassauer calls landscapes around our buildings. 630-559-2000 “cues to care.” Thus, boundaries of An important strategy for getting www.cdfi nc.com well-maintained turf around nat- there is to maintain or restore natural Society for Ecological Restoration urally landscaped areas not only landscaping. With most sites—even International provide fi re breaks but also increase so-called greenfi eld sites that have Tucson, Arizona most people’s comfort level with the not been built on—the ecosystem 520-622-5485 native plantings. will have already been signifi cantly www.ser.org Online Directory of Restoration degraded, and ecological restoration Expertise Sourcing native plants will be necessary in recreating a Evergreen While a plant species may be native natural landscape. This may involve Toronto, Ontario to North America, the genetic make- removing invasive plants, plant- 416-596-1495 up of that plant may vary widely ing native species, and adopting a www.evergreen.ca depending on where it was grown. management plan that will maintain Wild Ones Natural Landscapers, Ltd. A burr oak growing in the Flint a healthy ecosystem. In pursuing Appleton, Wisconsin Hills of Kansas, for example, may dif- such a strategy, the fi rst step should 920-730-3986 fer markedly from the same species be hiring an expert in ecological www.for-wild.org growing along Lake Champlain in restoration or natural landscaping. Morton Arboretum Vermont. The Flint Hills burr oak is Replacing turf with such a landscape Leslie, Illinois probably adapted to fairly dry, sunny, will necessitate an investment, but 630-968-0074 www.mortonarb.org windy, tall-grass prairie conditions, that investment should be repaid while the Lake Champlain burr oak is adapted to higher precipitation levels, cloudier conditions, and per- haps different soils. Plant ecologists refer to these as different ecotypes. From the Library The plants are similar enough to be considered the same species, but they have signifi cant differences. Two New Books on this design strategy. The book begins In sourcing native plants for a land- with a few pages of introductory scaping project, efforts should be Green Roofs information, including a foreword made to fi nd locally adapted seed or Green Roofs: Ecological Design by architect William McDonough nursery stock. This can be diffi cult. and a succinct overview of the en- and Construction Many of the leading native plant vironmental benefi ts of green roofs by Earth Pledge, foreword by William nurseries (see EBN Vol. 10, No. 2) are by Earth Pledge staff and green roof McDonough. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., located in the Midwest, and plant consultant Katrin Scholz-Barth. stock from these sources may not do Atglen, Pennsylvania, 2005. Hardcover, well in areas with signifi cantly dif- 158 pages, $39.95. Following this introductory material, ferent growing conditions. To ensure the bulk of the book provides 40 su- the greatest likelihood of success, an Planting Green Roofs and perbly illustrated, two-page spreads effort should be made to fi nd native Living Walls of green roof case studies. These case plants that were grown (or the seeds by Nigel Dunnett and Noël Kingsbury. studies were selected from around collected) from your region. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon, 2004. the world, with 15 countries repre- Hardcover, 264 pages, $34.95. sented, including eight projects from Seeds from native plants can be col- the United States, seven from Ger- lected from the wild, though this Together, these two books provide needs to be done responsibly. The an excellent introduction to green many, fi ve from Switzerland, four Native Plant Society of New Jersey roofs. Green Roofs, compiled by staff from Japan, and three from Canada. offers guidance on seed collection at the Earth Pledge Foundation in Each case-study spread includes on their website: www.npsnj.org/ New York City, is probably the better several paragraphs of description, collecting_seeds.htm. book to read fi rst if you are new to three to fi ve color photographs, and

14 Environmental Building News · July 2005 From the Library

green roofs in Berlin; Tokyo; London; controlling solar heat gain, trapping Portland, Oregon; Chicago; Toronto; or removing dust and other pollut- and New York City. In many ways ants, protecting walls from heavy these municipal case studies com- rainfall and hail damage, providing prise the most interesting part of visual appeal, and offering forage the book. We learn how Berlin really and nesting habitat for wildlife. On launched the modern green building unoccupied buildings, noise-control movement and how very different barriers, and retaining walls, the priorities in the other cities are driv- aesthetic benefi ts may be most im- ing green roof implementation. For portant. (Potential damage to walls example, Tokyo is concerned with from the adventitious roots of vines providing open space, London with is not addressed by the authors, but creating habitat for an endangered can be a concern.) bird, Portland with stormwater man- agement, and Chicago with urban heat-island mitigation. Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls is a very different book—and re- consistently formatted data that in- markably complementary to Green cludes location, completion date, ar- Roofs. Don’t be misled by the title; chitect, landscape architect, special- Planting Green Roofs is much more ized green roof consultants, green than a book about plantings. Close roof area, and soil depth. (Even more to half of the book provides an excel- information on each case study is lent overview of green roofs, includ- provided in an appendix—includ- ing historical background, detailed ing, for most projects, green roof information on the benefi ts of green component manufacturers, type of roofs, and specifi cs on the various roof membrane, soil medium, plants components of green roofs. This is used, planting method, construction the best overview I’ve seen on green cost per square foot, and weight per roof design and systems—and it square foot.) These case studies dem- goes into signifi cantly greater detail onstrate the tremendous breadth of than Green Roofs. This practice of greening building fa- çades is far more common in Europe green roof systems and the design Then, true to the book’s title, it in- (especially Germany and France) opportunities green roofs provide. cludes extensive information on ap- than it is in North America—though propriate plant selection for green The most interesting project to me the northeastern U.S. certainly has roofs. Rather than simply listing was an unintentional green roof in its share of ivy-covered buildings plants, however, the authors explain Zurich, Switzerland, that was com- (think Ivy League universities)! In why certain plants make sense in the pleted in 1914. A reinforced concrete addition to self-clinging vines like harsh, xeric environments found on water-filtration plant was topped English ivy and Virginia creeper, rooftops. To date, most green roofs with gravel, sand, and eight inches the book addresses the use of sup- are dominated by sedums and relat- (200 mm) of topsoil from the sur- port systems to allow other plants to ed succulents from Europe—largely rounding farmland to keep the water serve a similar role. cool. The roof naturally vegetated because the green roof movement over a period of years and today developed in Europe. There is very Clear color photos throughout Plant- includes more than 170 plant spe- interesting discussion about what ing Green Roofs complement the in- cies, including nine orchids that sort of native plants in North Amer- formative text. The book concludes are now rare or endangered in the ica might be appropriate for green with a 40-page directory of plants for region. Among the orchids are 6,000 roofs—and why. roof and façade applications and a several-page list of suppliers of green specimens of Orchis morio, a species In addition to covering green roofs, roof systems and components. thought to be otherwise extinct in the book also addresses living the Zurich area! walls—the use of vines, specially If you’re interested in green roofs, Following the building case stud- pruned trees, and other plantings to these two books provide a superb ies are 30 pages of municipal case cover building façades with vegeta- starting point! –AW studies describing efforts to advance tion. Benefi ts of green façades include

Volume 14, Number 7 · Environmental Building News 15 17 • Pervious Concrete Pavement Semi- NOVEMBER nar & Demonstration, Denver, CO. Calendar Sponsor: American Society of Concrete 6-8 • Building Materials Reuse and Re- Contractors. Information: 866-788-2722; cycling: Decon ‘05 Conference, Atlanta, [email protected]; www.ascconline. GA. Sponsor: Building Materials Reuse JULY org/PDF/AnnConfBroch2005Web.pdf. Association. Info: 814-571-8659; guy_ [email protected]; www.decon05.com. 22-24 • Professional Straw Bale Construc- 27-29 • 2005 World Sustainable Building tion Training Course, Petaluma, CA. Conference: Action for Sustainability, To- 8-10 • 2005 Design-Build Expo, Las Sponsor: California Straw Building Asso- kyo, Japan. Sponsor: Conference Secretariat Vegas, NV. Sponsor: Design-Build Institute of ciation. Information: 209-785-7077; www. of SB05Tokyo. Information: Fax: +81-3-3437- America. Info: 202-454-7535; pwilson@dbia. strawbuilding.org/Procourse2.html. 6482; [email protected]; www.sb05.com. org; www.designbuildexpo.com.

9-11 • Greenbuild International Confer- AUGUST OCTOBER ence & Expo 2005, Atlanta, GA. Sponsor: U.S. Green Building Council. Info: info@usgbc. 6-12 • ISES 2005: Solar World Congress, 1 • Green Buildings Open House, North- org; www.greenbuildexpo.org. Orlando, FL. Sponsor: American Solar En- eastern U.S. Sponsor: Northeast Sustain- ergy Society. Information: [email protected]; able Energy Association. Information: 10 -11 • Advanced Facilities Engineer- www.swc2005.org. [email protected]; www.NESEA.org. ing Conference 2005 (AFEC), Denver, CO. Sponsor: USGBC, Colorado Chap- 7-13 • Eco Architecture Study Tour, San 6-9 • Solar Power 2005, Washington, DC. ter. Information: 303-771-2000; Fax: 303- Francisco, CA. Sponsor: San Francisco Sponsor: Solar Electric Power Associa- 843-6232; [email protected]; Institute of Architecture. Info: 510-523-5174; tion. Information: 202-857-0898; htaylor@ www.afec.biz. www.SFIA.net. solarelectricpower.org; www.solarpower conference.com. 14-17 • Energy 2005: The Solutions Network, DECEMBER Long Beach, CA. Sponsor: U.S. Depart- 7-10 • ASLA Annual Meeting & Expo, Fort ment of Energy. Information: 800-608-7141; Lauderdale, FL. Sponsor: American Soci- 13-16 • Ecobuild Federal, Washington, DC. [email protected]; www.energy ety of Landscape Architects. Information: Sponsor: Sustainable Buildings Industry 2005.ee.doe.gov. 202-898-2444; www.asla.org/meetings/ Council. Information: 800-996-3863; www. am2005/. ecobuildamerica.com. 27-Sept. 9 • Design Certifi ca- tion Course, Santa Fe, NM. Sponsor: Eco 13 • Building Green: 2005 AIA Delaware Versity. Information: 505-424-9797 x10; www. Statewide Design Convention, Wilm- APRIL 2006 ecoversity.org/administration/programs/ ington, DE. Sponsor: Delaware Chapter CE/04F/F4-23/Overview.aspx/. of the American Institute of Architect. 19-20 • CleanMed 2006, Seattle, WA. Information: 302-654-9817; pwilson@dbia. Sponsor: CleanMed. Info: 617-524-6018; org; www.aiadelaware.org/awards05/ www.cleanmed.org/2006/home.html/. SEPTEMBER building-green.htm. 9-10 • Green Building Fair 2005, San 26-28 • Excellence in Building 2005, More complete info and Jose, CA. Sponsor: The American Institute Colorado Springs, CO. Sponsor: Energy & of Architects, Santa Clara Valley. Info: Environmental Building Association. Info: additional listings are online at 408-298-0611; www.aiascv.org/pages/ 952-881-1098; www.eeba.org/conference/. www.BuildingGreen.com. news.html.

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