Landscape Architecture In the News
A sampling of recent press coverage of landscape architecture. Keyword terms are noted by ">>>" and "<<<" marks.

D.C. offers up cash to buildings to go green on top
Washington Business Journal
Date: 11/09/07

D.C. is coaxing the city's landlords and homeowners to make the tops of their buildings more green -- and offering them a little green, in turn, to get there… The<<<American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)>>>spent nearly $1 million last year to build its upscale green roof, as well as the new stairwell leading to the 3,000-square-foot space… Since the ASLA completed its green roof in April 2006, more than 2,000 people have viewed it on tours. While the group doesn't know of any other green roofs its project has spawned so far, it agrees with D.C. officials that such development begets more..."There definitely is a snowball effect," said Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of<<< ASLA>>>, which didn't use the D.C. Department of Environment grants for its roof. "

Rebeca Chapa: Landscaping choices can boost healthy environment
San Antonio Express-News
Date: 11/14/07

Now, an innovative effort is under way to create LEED-style standards for the natural landscape. The project involves a number of partners, including the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden. "Green building practices are becoming much more mainstream, but that concept has never extended beyond the doors of the building," said Susan Rieff, executive director of the Wildflower Center.

San Francisco landscape architect wins contest to remake Allegheny Plaza
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Front Page)
Date: 11/10/07

A San Francisco >>>landscape architect<<< has won the competition to make over the North Side's Allegheny Plaza with a child-focused design inspired by the history, form and ecology of Pittsburgh's rivers and riverbanks.  Andrea Cochran's plan calls for a green landscape bisected diagonally by a dry, undulating river of long, rectangular concrete pavers. Many of the design elements are modeled after the movement of water in waves, eddies and shallows. The concrete river, for example, will lap over the edges of the park onto the sidewalk.

WorldChanging: Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future: A Rating System for Sustainable Landscaping  
WorldChanging: (Blog)
Date: 11/09/07

Well, the framework was laid last week with the Sites Initiative (SSI), a partnership of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden and others. From the article in Lawn & Landscape magazine: Much like LEED does for the building sector, SSI will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes. Though SSI is a standalone system, the USGBC is lending its support to the project and plans to adopt SSI metrics into the LEED system once they're finished. The group's preliminary draft report, designed to introduce SSI's investigations into soils, hydrology, vegetation, materials and human services, will be available for download at www.sustainablesites.org on Nov. 1 and will have a 45-day public comment period.

How To Integrate Projects With The Ecosystem
Planetizen: (Blogs)
Date: 11/06/07

A list of more than 200 ways designers, architects and planners can improve the integration of projects with their surrounding ecosystems has been released by the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<. "The >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< yesterday released a comprehensive report giving a snapshot of the many ways that architects, designers and facility managers can enhance how well their sites fit into surrounding ecosystems, provide cleaner air and water, and reduce the impact of climate change." "The report, a standards and guidelines report from the Sustainable Sites Initiative, lists more than 200 ways to improve the ecosystem services that landscapes of all sizes and in all regions of the country can provide."

Sustainable Landscapes Make the Grade
Architecture Magazine
Date: 11/05/07

Landscape design may seem intrinsically sustainable, but this is by no means a given. To encourage the application of design principles to landscapes, the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, and the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., are jointly working on a new green rating system called the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Designed to complement the LEED rating system for buildings, Sustainable Sites will measure the ecological aspects of public, commercial, and residential landscapes. To develop the system, more than 30 experts from nearly a dozen stakeholder groups-including environmental organizations and landscape architecture firms-have identified sustainable practices for soils, hydrology, vegetation, human health, and materials. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has agreed to incorporate the findings of the initiative into future versions of LEED.

Garden variety
PRIMEDIA  Business
Date: 11/14/07

During its 2007 Expo in San Francisco, the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< (ASLA) announced development of a new rating system for sustainable landscape design. Taking a cue from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED rating system for a building's environmental impact, the Sites Initiative will measure the sustainability of designed landscapes of all types, including public, commercial, and residential projects. The Council is lending its support to this project and plans to adopt Sustainable Sites metrics into LEED. "This will provide the missing link for green building standards," said ASLA CEO Nancy Somerville.

Joel M. Lerner - Turning a Roof Into a Garden in the Sky
The Washington Post
Date: 11/03/07

In Washington, there are several buildings with such roofs, including the national headquarters of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<. In Christian Werthmann's "Green Roof: A Case Study" (Princeton Architectural Press, 2007), readers are taken through each step of installing the green roof at the landscape architects' building. Every step of the installation for the rooftop and terrace gardens is clearly explained. This book has excellent graphics and color photographs. It is an up-to-date how-to volume that shows that it is possible anywhere, with the proper planning, to install a rooftop garden. Greening your roof requires study and planning.

Green roof study demonstrates environmental benefits
Professional Roofing
Date: 11/02/07
Source: Web Pubs
Keyword Matches: 1

A green roof system on the headquarters building of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< (ASLA), Washington, D.C., has shown economic and environmental advantages, according to the Engineering News-Record. Installed in 2006, the 3,000-square-foot roof system also included monitoring equipment for stormwater runoff, water quality and temperature. ASLA released the first analysis of the green roof system-which was designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates Inc., New York-on Sept. 20. The report states that from July 2006 to May 2007 the roof system prevented almost 75 percent of all precipitation on the roof system (about 27,500 gallons of stormwater) from flowing into the city's sewer and stormwater runoff system.

Green Roofs Form Centerpiece to High-Profile Seattle Projects
Design Cost Data
Date: 11/10/07

The U.S. Census Bureau Headquarters in Suitland, Md., and the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< Headquarters in Washington, D.C., both completed in 2006, are two high-profile projects that have embraced the concept of green roofs…Just down the road, the American Society of Landscape Architects Headquarters serves as both an example and an inspiration, demonstrating how landscape architects play a central role in green roof design and construction. The previous black tar roof on the 11-year old brick building is now a showpiece for aesthetic design and environmental benefits. The roof employs a matrix design, containing distinct areas of extensive, shallow-intensive and intensive green roof systems with plantings ranging in depths from three to 24 inches. The dominant features of the roof are two highly sloped areas, or waves, covered with plantings, which demonstrates design relationships between the roof, the horizon and the building.

Celebrate fall foliage
Sunset
Date: 11/13/07

With help from >>>landscape architect<<< Patrick Leuner, one couple made autumn foliage a central part of their garden. He developed the overall design and the placement of major trees and garden rocks, but he credits the owners with doing the fine brushwork. Since a west-facing patio is the most used outdoor space, the best trees for fall color grow within sight of it. Advised by Leuner and landscape contractor Brad Waggoner, the owners included several kinds of maples-standards in the fall-garden paletteplus an arboretum-like color collection that includes Japanese snowdrop tree, katsuratree, northern red oak, Parrotia persica, scarlet oak, and yellow wood (Cladrastis kentukeaj.

Rugby star's gentle touch
Evening Gazette (Middlesbrough, UK)
Date: 11/13/07

The garden is based on the theme of James Cook and his journey across the world and was designed by >>>landscape architect<<< and Chelsea Flower Show winner Phil Jaffa who was born in Middlesbrough. Further money was also made available through ICI's Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which is supporting the trust's healing arts initiative. Jamie unveiled a plaque made by local artist Lee Brewster, who also worked with the children to cast each of their footprints onto the textured walls. Jamie said: "I am really pleased to be able to support the Wooden Spoon charity, which has worked extremely hard to raise the money for this great project.

Charleston, SC Latest Features: Gardens bare cool secrets to buyers       The Post and Courier
Date: 11/11/07

Fall and winter are great times to evaluate a home's landscaping, says Sharon Bradley, a >>>landscape architect<<< in Laurel, Md. Without the distraction of all those daffodils, in fact, house hunters might be more likely to notice serious flaws, and they quickly can get a sense of how a property will feel most of the year, long after most blooms have settled down. "Textures are what show best this time of year," she says. Ornamental grasses, sedums and evergreens especially will be of interest.

Shangri La Nature Center - 11/19/2007 - Texas Contractor
Associated Construction Publications: News
Date: 11/10/07

The nature center was designed by Lake Flato Architects, Inc., Mesa Design Group and Jeffrey Carbo, >>>ASLA<<<. The Austin office of the Dallas-based The Beck Group was awarded pre-construction and construction services for the project. The Historical Garden is a reflection of the Stark Family's Botanical Garden that closed in the 1950s after a fierce winter storm decimated the landscape. Ironically, the 18-month construction schedule to bring the property back to its original beauty in 2005 was delayed in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Rita during the early stages of construction.

Midtown Dev. Corp. Elects Board, Seeks Nonprofit Status
Memphis Daily News
Date: 11/08/07

Five institutions came together to form the design center: AIA Memphis, the Memphis chapters of the Urban Land Institute and the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<<, the UrbanArt Commission and the University of Memphis. The inspiration for the MRDC came from other successful centers in the Mid-South, such as the Nashville Civic Design Center. "We've looked at a lot of different models from our region and tried to take the best from each," Loots said. Currently, the MRDC doesn't have a staff, but Loots said the organization will begin searching for a design director and an executive director soon, and the MRDC is already looking at options for first projects.

Geneva firm wins landscape award  
Beacon News
Date: 11/06/07

The Lannert Group of Geneva has been chosen winner of the Illinois Chapter of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< 2007 President's Award in the commercial design category. The award was for Lannert's design of Midwest Groundcovers' new 280-acre site on Illinois 64 in Virgil. The company developed a phased plan that incorporated "green solutions" for storm water runoff. Through innovative design using bioswales, filtration basins and native landscape, more than 98 percent of rain and irrigation water entering the site is retained and recycled for future use.

Water Garden's steward closes up shop
The Raleigh News & Observer
Date: 11/05/07

Dick Bell will be honored this weekend by the state chapter of the >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< for his role as one of three founding members of the profession in the state. They're the folks who design subdivisions, parks and other spaces. Bell's projects have become landmarks -- the Brickyard at N.C. State University, the amphitheater at Meredith College and Pullen Park are some of the big ones. The Water Garden, his office and home off Glenwood Avenue, has been a classroom for many of the state's successful landscape architects, said Brian Starkey, a landscape architect who worked for Bell for a year in the mid-1990s.

Landscape Society Honors Mayor Abramson
US State News
Date: 11/05/07

Abramson an honorary member. The >>>American Society of Landscape Architects<<< will bestow the award on Abramson at its annual meeting next fall, said Dennis Carmichael, the group's past president. Abramson and 11 others will be inducted, including environmental activist Robert Redford, architect and author William McDonough, and William Hudnut, former mayor of Indianapolis. "I was proud to nominate Mayor Abramson for all he has done for Louisville over the past two decades to make landscape a vital part of economic revitalization and quality of life for its citizens," Carmichael said.