Environmental Considerations of Green School Grounds

This chapter explores environmental issues related to the school grounds, provides background information regarding critical terms, site sustainability theories, and the concept of ecosystem services, and includes a review of current sustainable site rating systems such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES). The chapter also provides an overview of the issues related to site selection and discussion of the most useful and relevant sustainable programming and practices for both new and existing schools. Site program and amenities are discussed in the six categories of process, play, gardens, water, habitat, and energy; examples of schools where such programs have been implemented are provided. The chapter concludes with recommendations for educational leaders who are tasked with conceiving, renovating, or managing a school campus.

Evaluation and Comparison of Sustainability Performance and Visual Preference of Residential Landscape Elements

A study was conducted to compare sustainability performance (SP) and visual preference of landscape elements in six professionally designed landscapes. The sites chosen for study provided a range of low to high emphasis on sustainable landscape design. Landscape elements in each site were evaluated for two attributes: SP and visual preference. Sustainability performance was evaluated using the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) scoring system. Visual preferences for landscape elements were assembled by surveying three populations of volunteers: landscape design professionals, landscape design students, and nondesigners (potential residential clients). Few significant differences were observed among the visual preference responses of participant groups. In the few differences noted, we found that the more knowledgeable participants were about landscape element’s ability to improve the environment, the more likely they were to rate them as visually preferred. Average values for SP and visual preference were negatively correlated. However, many individual landscape elements were rated highly in both SP and visual preference. These results suggest it is possible to design landscapes with both highly sustainable elements that are also highly visually preferred.

INTEGRATING GREEN RATING SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY FOR FERRY TERMINALS

When attempting to achieve sustainability goals for integrated facilities, many green rating systems are available to guide the design, construction, operations and maintenance of a project. Due to the large number of sustainability tools that are available or mandated, it can be confusing to determine which set of guidelines to follow. For the Washington State Ferries (WSF), there is no green rating system which correlates perfectly with the unique intermodal challenges presented by ferry terminals. This paper focuses on five rating systems applicable to WSF: GreenLITES, LEED, Sustainable Sites Initiative, The Port Authority of NY/NJ Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines (draft), and the draft Marine Vessel Environmental Performance Assessment (MVeP). These rating systems are integrated with a developing set of sustainable ferry guidelines in a green rating integration platform (GRIP). The GRIP readily relates credits and guidelines across multiple systems, aiding WSF in making decisions in accordance with sustainability goals. The GRIP format might similarly be applied to other integrated projects to more effectively and economically address sustainability across all aspects of projects and facility operations.