Page 213 - Green Building Through Integrated Design

SITE QUESTIONS 189

The project expects to reduce energy use 60 percent below that of a similar, con-
ventional building. The design employs water-conserving fixtures, efficient land-
scaping and a rainwater cistern to reduce water use by an estimated 60 percent.
Low-VOC finishes, natural ventilation, and CO sensors contribute to high indoor
2
air quality.*

Site Questions

Now it’s time to answer specific site use questions in a more detailed manner. Often,
a more detailed exploration of site opportunities and constraints can help inform the
building design, in terms of choice of materials, building location on the site, and
similar uses.

1 Are there materials onsite that can be used or reused? (Rocks; trees; clay for adobe
bricks, soil for “soil-crete,” rammed earth, soil “screened” for reuse, existing
paving or concrete for fill or retaining walls.)
2 In what ways can we improve and/or limit our impact on wildlife habitat on and
near the building site (example: can site design maintain or enhance wildlife
corridors)?
3 Can we reduce the development footprint (including buildings, utilities, access,
and parking), so that we exceed local open space requirements by 25 percent or
more?
4 On previously developed sites, can we restore a minimum of 50 percent of the
remaining open area by planting native or adapted vegetation?
5 On a new site, can we limit disturbance including earthwork and clearing of veg-
etation to 40 feet beyond the building perimeter? How will we write these require-
ments into the Division 1 specifications for the general contractor to follow?
6 Does the design work with the site or does it overly alter the site? (examples:
extensive excavation/vegetation removal, disruption of habitat corridors, and the
like)
7 If we have to alter some of the site, can we save the native vegetation and replant
it onsite or possibly elsewhere, at a later time?
8 Is our program responding to the site’s unique features such as topography, woods,
pastures, or proximity to water bodies?
9 Does the site design create ecologically useful outdoor spaces; are we incorporat-
ing habitat preservation into the design, for example, by having slatted bridges
over swales or streams so that sunlight can penetrate below?
10 Can water features be used for pedagogical purposes, for example, a pond for
stormwater management or even constructed wetlands that can also be used by
school classes?

*Chartwell School [online], http://www.chartwell.org/index.cfm?Page=132, accessed April 2008.