Sustainable Sites Green Building

What factors are at play when choosing a site?

When selecting a site, the team must consider many attributes of the overall system:

• What is the local climate of the project?
• Has the site been previously developed?
• Is it connected to local infrastructure and public transportation?
• What species in the area might use the site as habitat and be affected?
• What is the nature of street life in the area, and how can the project contribute to the community?
• Where do people in the area live and work, and how do they get back and forth?

Why is this important for buildings?

The location of a building is as important as how it is built. Its connection and linkage to the local bioregion, watershed, and community will help determine how a project can contribute to a sustainable environment. A sustainable project serves more than the immediate function of the building. It must also meet the needs of the local community, support active street life, promote healthy lifestyles, provide ecosystem services, and create a sense of place.

Site selection and design play important roles in both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping projects adapt to the effects of climate change. If people can use public transportation, ride bicycles, or walk to the building, the project helps reduce the carbon emissions associated with commuting. A project that is connected to the community by pedestrian paths and bicycle lanes encourages people to walk or bike instead of drive, not only helping to reduce air pollution, but also promoting physical activity. Sustainable Sites

The first category of LEED prerequisites and credits has to do with the location and piece of land the project is built on. LEED Sustainable Sites credits deal with protecting natural habitat, keeping open spaces, dealing with rainwater, and heat island and light pollution reduction.

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention

This measure is required for LEED certification. It involves executing specific measures designed to limit the effect of construction activities on the surrounding environment, by containing soil erosion, sedimentation of waterways, and airborne dust. A plan must be developed that meets the requirements of the EPA 2012 Construction General Permit or local requirements, whichever is more stringent. This plan must be in effect throughout the project, with photo and inspection evidence to show that the plan was maintained.

Site Assessment

This credit is worth 1 point. In order to earn this credit, project teams must perform and document a site assessment of the project location, including the following topics: topography, hydrology, climate, vegetation, soils, human use, and human health effects. The assessment should discuss how the topics above influence the design, as well as any of the topics that were not addressed in the design.

Protect or Restore Habitat

This credit is worth 1-2 points. The project must preserve and protect at least 40% of the greenfield (undeveloped) area on the project site if such an area exists. In addition, the project must restore 30% of the site to natural habitat using native and adapted plant species (worth 2 credits), or provide financial support to an organization accredited by the Land Trust Alliance (worth 1 credit). The habitat restoration should include both soil and vegetation, and vegetated roofs can be counted in certain circumstances.