PA 5: Study and Design for Improved Project Element + Infrastructure Integration – Above Green

(3-9 points)

INTENT

Design the project to account for operational relationships among other elements of the project and community infrastructure which result in an overall improvement in infrastructure efficiency and effectiveness.

Use interlocking systems to increase the effective + efficient use of resources, including but not limited to energy, water, buildings + structures, sanitation, food, transportation, community common space, amenities, services + resources of all kinds.

Planning + design interventions should result in complementary systems and technics that have low demands for and/or produce water, energy, material + resources (of all kinds) while supporting: diversity + biodiversity that offer stabilizing levels of redundancy/ back-up; individual, community + ecological health, vitality + cohesion; local/regional self-reliance + development capacity; shock resistance + recovery potential.

STRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES | REQUIREMENTS (3 POINTS)

Internal + external system, bundling + synergies: Project owner and designer look at the project and its delivered works as a system. Project gains in resource conservation and the use of renewable resources are significant due to efforts to optimize performance across the project and its delivered works. Efforts are made to integrate the design to eliminate design conflicts and find system synergies that enhance overall performance.

The project is planned and designed to account for other related community infrastructure + elements, i.e., how its design and operation will work in harmony and synergy with other infrastructure + elements external to the project. Additional investments are planned to create linkages, improve synergies, and by doing so, improve overall performance.

The project incorporates and takes advantage of valuable community assets, e.g., knowledge and social capital.

PA Action 5.1(A) Study: Explore Improved Infrastructures + Element Integration Relevant to the Project Scope (6 points)

Identify and characterize site-specific, neighborhood, local + regional opportunities for integration across scales. The assessment is done in sufficient depth to determine possibilities with aggressive searching and screening of opportunities. Make contact with, pursue and include appropriate decision-makers across multiple disciplines and areas of expertise. Possible synergies must be clearly identified. Conduct research that is specific to the site, neighborhood, locality and/or region relative to the project’s scope.

Core Opportunities for Exploration:

Energy-related systems
Water-related systems
Building + Structure Related Systems

Additional Opportunities (explore at least one):

Sanitation
Food production-related systems
Transportation-related systems
Natural and Ecosystem services
Community Common Space + Amenities
Project-specific opportunity

Guidance:

Envision V2: Improve Infrastructure Integration| Leadership Credit LD2.1.  https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/ (login for free access)

PA Action 5.1(B) Design: Develop and Execute Strategies from the Opportunities Studied in Action 5.1(A)

Note: The PA Action 5.1(A) study must be completed before PA Action 5.1(B).

Demonstrate improvements of at least 50% savings, utilization or production compared to the total resource baseline needed or available compared to 100% of the project demand or need.

Project demand must be greater than 5% of the total project cost if it is a fixed asset or a significant ongoing demand if it is a resource flow such as water, food, or energy. Savings and utilization improvement of 110% (net positive) or greater for any one opportunity is equal to two opportunities.

Execute (1) Opportunity explored in the study (cannot be a core opportunity set out in 5.1(A))
Execute (2) Opportunities explored in the study (cannot include a core opportunity set out in 5.1(A))
Execute (3-6) Opportunities explored in the study
Execute (7) Opportunities explored in the study

Guidance:

Envision V2: Improve Infrastructure Integration | Leadership Credit LD2.1.  https://sustainableinfrastructure.org/ (login for free access)