Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors

506 Pages·2018·19.94 MB·English

by  Kim Sorvig

KIM SORVIG J. WILLIAM THOMPSON
with
THIRD EDITION

S U S T A I N A B L E
L A N D S C A P E
C O N S T R U C T I O N
A Guide to
Green Building Outdoors

Sustainable Landscape Construction
A Guide to Green Building Outdoors
Third Edition

Sustainable
Landscape
Construction
A Guide to Green
Building Outdoors
Third Edition
Kim Sorvig with J. William Thompson
with drawings by Craig D. Farnsworth, ASLA
Washington | Covelo | London
Copyright © 2018 Kim Sorvig and J. William Thompson
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, 2000 M St., NW, Suite 650, Wash-
ington, DC 20036.
ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of The Center for Resource Economics.
Keywords: Bio-based products, Biophilic design, Climate change, Ecosystem management, Efficiency, Energy use, Erosion,
Graywater, Green infrastructure, Integrated pest management, Irrigation, Landscape architecture, LEED, Life-cycle
assessment, Lighting, Machinery, Maintenance, Materials selection, Nontoxic building materials, Paving, Permaculture,
Phytoremediation, Recycled materials, Renewable energy, Resilience, Restoration, Site assessment, Soil, Solar, Stormwater,
Sustainable Sites Initiative
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017948523
All Island Press books are printed on environmentally responsible materials.
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The Fine Print
This book reports information from designers, contractors, manufactur-
ers, academic researchers, and many others. The author has attempted to
ensure that all the information herein is credible but has performed no in-
dependent testing of these reports. Reporting such information does not
constitute endorsement of any product or method. Exclusion of products
or methods does not imply a negative evaluation. All trademarks remain
property of their respective owners. The author and publisher specifically
disclaim any and all liability purported to result from inclusion or exclu-
sion of a product or method in this book.
Variations among regions and sites result in very different performance
from the same products and methods, and no assurance can be given that
any information reported herein is suitable for any given site. The infor-
mation reported herein may contain errors and omissions, and even where
complete and accurate it is not a substitute for local expertise and profes-
sional judgment. Illustrations are not intended as ready-to-build, step-by-
step instructions, but rather to depict concepts and processes. The author
and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability for any situation re-
sulting from use or attempted use of this information.

Contents
List of Figures xiii
List of Tables xix
Preface to the Third Edition xxi
Authorship Changes xxii
Why a New Edition? xxii
What’s New in This Edition? xxiii
Who Should Use This Book? xxvi
How to Use This Book xxvi
Finding Landscapes Along the Information Highway xxviii
Acknowledgments xxx
Contacting the Author xxx
Basic Principles: “Sustainability” in Context 1
What Is Sustainability? Politics, Ethics, and Semantics 2
Sustainability: Convention, Tradition, and Innovation 8
Landscapes Against Climate Change 20
Sustainability, Substance, and Style 28
Rethinking Special Landscape Types for Sustainability 40
Principle 1: Keep Healthy Sites Healthy 47
What Is a Healthy Site? 47
Take a Role in “Pre-construction” 49
Do Your Homework First: Knowledge as Sustainability 50
Avoid Survey Damage 53
Minimize Utility Damage 61
Physically Protect Sites During Construction 67
Preserve Healthy Topsoil 70
Save Every Possible Existing Tree—Even Just One 72
Use Appropriate Construction Machinery 75
Related Design and Planning Issues 80
Coordination and Follow-up 85
Principle 2: Heal Injured Soils and Sites 87
Turn Wastelands to Gardens 87
Balance the Environmental Costs and Benefits of Restoration 89
Involve the Community in Site Restoration 91
Make a Virtue of the Necessity for Landfills 95
Recognize Agricultural and Rural Restoration 100
Restore Landscapes Structurally 100
Restore Damaged Soils On-site 106