Sustainable Landscape Guidelines
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SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE GUIDELINES THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY The GW Office of Sustainability and GW Planning, Development & Construction have collaborated with the Sustainable Landscapes Design Group, made up of faculty and students of the Sustainable Landscapes program at the College of Professional Studies partnered with Jordan Honeyman Landscape Architects, to shape the Foggy Bottom Sustainable Landscapes Guidelines. The Guidelines are intended to inspire and inform Division of Operations landscape management decisions going forward, but they are not commitments or prescriptions. November 2016 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Sustainable Landscapes Design Group would like to recognize the following individuals for their contributions and feedback to the Sustainable Landscape Guidelines project. GW Community External Partners Sustainable Landscapes Design Group Faculty Staff Casey Trees Adele Ashkar Ann Allegra John Ralls Houston Miller Jessica Sanders Joan Honeyman Dawnita Altieri Shannon Ross Lee Paddock Arielle Conti Barb Neal Michael Brown James Schrote Kimberly Robien Lauren Wheeler Ronda Chapman-Duer Kareem Shaban Amit Ronen DC Department of Meghan Chapple Doug Spengel Energy & Environment Sustainable Landscapes Design Students Susi Cora Alexandra Weller Students (DOEE) Julia Braun Kenneth Crosson Seth Weinshel Zoe Grimaldi Rebecca Stack Liz Halford David Dent Miles Milliken Markku McGlynn Joe Hirz Mark Ellis Faculty Alexandra Simpkins Matthew Flack Lisa Benton-Short Caitlin Troutt DCWater Graphics/Layout Noel Gasparin Hartmut Doebel Bethany Bezak Jordan Honeyman Landscape Architecture Nancy Giammatteo Royce Francis Seth Charde Lee Jennings Erica Hayton Elin Haaga Rachel Kruse Alicia Knight Lauren Kaczmar District Dept. of Timothy Miller Sylvan Kaufman Transportation (DDOT) Henry Molinengo Melissa Keeley Meredith Upchurch SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE GUIDELINES TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 INTRODUCTION Sustainability at GW 1 Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy Vision and Purpose Guidelines and the EES How to Use The Guidelines Living Landscapes and Living Guidelines The Special Role of Students Benefits of Sustainable Grounds 2.0 CURRENT CAMPUS Methodology LANDSCAPE Social Uses of Spaces - Map 9 Plants and Design - Map 3.0 GUIDELINES AND Design Principles Hierarchy of Spaces RECOMMENDATIONS 15 Unified Campus Aesthetic Guidelines by Square Plant Lists 4.0 TREES Sustainability and Trees Maintenance 75 Planting Tree Partnerships Trees and the EES 5.0 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN GW Grounds Management Opportunities OPPORTUNITIES 91 Grant and Partnership Opportunities 6.0 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Community Engagement Activities AND OUTREACH 105 A . Related Documents and Background 7.0 APPENDICES Research 109 B. Site Inventory Analysis C. Master Plant List D. Soil Notes THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PURPOSE CURRENT SITUATION These Guidelines are intended to give students The George Washington University is a world-class Annuals will be utilized in key areas on campus so and university personnel a framework for institution of higher education and the campus that a varied plant language is sustained through understanding the natural spaces at GW. They is home to students, faculty and staff, and the the seasons. With such natural resource efficiency outline methods to review, discuss, and decide Foggy Bottom community. This varied use yields comes cost reductions. Instead of planting large how best to maintain or improve each campus building densities that differ in scale and character. masses of seasonal annuals several times a year, landscape space from an ecological, functional, In parallel with this varied density are streetscapes perennial plant material is planted infrequently. and aesthetic perspective. and greenspaces that are essentially residential Perennial flowers and grasses self-sow their seeds EXECUTIVE SUMMARY in scale and character. The majority of GW’s or will spread via rhizomes or root mass ensuring The Guidelines provide the basis for the GW landscape exists within an established streetscape longevity and abundant landscapes. But the Grounds Management Team to make daily and of front yards, sidewalks, and curbs edges. majority of planting will consist of a variety of seasonal decisions to transition the campus grasses, flowers, and shrubs in order to provide towards a more sustainable landscape. Long ENVIRONMENTAL AND COST BENEFITS OF color and visual interest throughout the year. term planning decisions for campus landscapes SUSTAINABLE GROUNDS AT GW will be informed by the Sustainable Landscapes This resource document offers a sustainable This approach does not incur immediate cost Guidelines, while adhering to the 2007 GW Foggy approach to landscape design and plant selection. impacts but spreads out costs per normal Bottom Campus Streetscape Guidelines. Landscapes are sustainable when their water, maintenance schedules. As perennials and grasses nutrient, and energy processes are balanced and do not require annual planting it is envisioned that Additionally, creating this set of guidelines will require very little outside inputs. This results from overall costs will be reduced over time. These help implement the GW Ecosystems Enhancement appropriate design and maintenance that stabilizes plant guidelines are envisioned as part of GW’s Strategy (EES). The guidelines will impact the the ecosystem processes over time. Once these general landscape maintenance activities. Over following focus areas outlined in the Ecosystems landscapes are in place and functioning properly, time plants may be replaced as beds are upgraded Enhancement Strategy: the benefits quickly outweigh the costs. to sustainable varieties during usual maintenance activities. • Strengthening habitat & optimizing natural In lieu of plants that require watering, fertilization, space (EES Goal 1) or pest treatments this resource offers alternatives • Promoting healthy air & climate (EES Goal 2) in plant selections to varieties that are hardy, • Fostering clean & abundant water (EES Goal 3) drought and disease-resistant. It also proposes • Encouraging a natural urban environment that to reduce the overall use of annuals and instead helps enhance physical, mental and social well- substitute perennial varieties that once established being (EES Goal 6) will provide color and texture in the landscape. SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE GUIDELINES i HIGH -IMPACT CONTEMPORARY HIGH -IMPACT TRADITIONAL LOW -IMPACT CONTEMPORARY LOW -IMPACT TRADITIONAL Function: Tough, resilient Function: Tough, resilient Function: Layered landscape Function: Layered landscape plantings that maintain plantings that maintain their with simple, structured with simple, structured their form in winter and form in winter and withstand plantings at a residential plantings at residential scale. withstand constant foot constant foot traffic and ice- scale. Resilient plants Resilient plant materials traffic and ice-melt. melt. withstand urban conditions withstand urban conditions Aesthetic: Layered Aesthetic: Layered and prevent erosion. and prevent erosion. landscape with all-season Aesthetic: Inspired by Inspired by EXECUTIVE SUMMARY landscape with all-season Aesthetic: interest. Large, bold plant interest. Little to no symmetry native plant communities native plant communities, masses match building in front of buildings with these small garden spaces these small garden spaces scale. Annual displays at traditional style gardens. provide opportunities to provide opportunities to major intersections and Annual and perennial plant flowering pollinators. plant flowering pollinators. special focal points. displays in traditional Incorporate benches and Incorporate seating behind clusters. seat walls for students to low screening hedges at gather. residential townhouses. Plants attract pollinators and strong color blocks Annual display at University Yard Bulbs provide early season interest and Front yards at residential campus are reused from year to year ii THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE GUIDELINES 3. Opportunities: The Sustainable Landscapes • Provide a vocabulary of recommended The Guidelines provide a framework and Guidelines identify existing campus spaces that make recommendations for daily and seasonal University plant lists to establish a unified lend themselves to retrofit projects that are not campus landscape aesthetic. maintenance, capital development projects, and classified as future sites for building development. other opportunities. • Maintain existing trees to facilitate healthy They fall into one of two categories, opportunities growth and ease of maintenance. 1. Daily and Seasonal Maintenance: Daily and either for the Grounds Management Team or • Establish a tree canopy coverage plan that Seasonal Maintenance is at the heart of the through grants and partnerships. The former can promotes the physical enjoyment of the GW Guidelines. The Guidelines provide a framework be implemented within annual maintenance and community and the ecological functions. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY and recommendations for maintenance tasks by operating budgets. The latter includes planting • Improve green places on campus to enhance square, which will help move the campus forward interventions that would require grant funding and/ the outdoor experience for all users, increasing towards a stable, resilient and sustainable future. or can be implemented through partnerships with quality of life health and well-being. The Guidelines are intended to inspire and inform