by Jbs070510 e3 — July 7, 2010—The landscaping for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Research Support Facility (RSF), located on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) campus, has been selected to help shape a rating system that will be the nation’s first for green landscape design, construction and maintenance.
As with the RSF building, the use of recycled materials is found throughout the RSF landscaping plan. For example:
- Rocks removed during construction are used to create gabion retaining walls;
Recycled concrete is used as road base and as a drainage layer under the parking lot, sidewalks and pavers;
- Recycled concrete building material is used as the decorative rock skirt surrounding the building;
The wood mulch is composed of tree trimmings, paint-free lumber and residential yard waste;
- Recycled glass is used in the storm water catch basins to slow flow;
A water-efficient irrigation system with a “smart” controller should help the facility achieve a 30 percent reduction in water use, and stormwater provides supplemental water; and
- Colorado native and adaptive plants provide color and texture to the outside spaces and food and habitat for local wildlife while eliminating the need for mowing and applying chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides.
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| The RSF’s gabion retaining walls consist of landfill-diverted rock excavated during construction and wire baskets made from 100 percent recycled steel. Credit: Heather Lammers |
The RSF was selected as one of 150 projects from 34 states as part of an international pilot project to evaluate the new Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), a rating system for sustainable landscaping. SITES is a partnership between the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden.
RSF joins other projects that include academic and corporate campuses, public parks with hundreds of acres, and transportation corridors. SITES will use feedback from this and the other selected projects during the pilot phase to revise the final rating system and reference guide by early 2013. The U.S. Green Building Council plans to incorporate the guidelines and performance benchmarks into future versions of its LEED Green Building Rating System.
