C9.2: Develop and Communicate a Case Study – Above Green

(3 points)

INTENT

Inspire and educate the public on the value of sustainable landscapes by describing and communicating a thoughtful and informative summary of the SITES project.

REQUIREMENTS

Use the SITES project to clearly and effectively illustrate the approaches, strategies, and benefits of implementing sustainability at the site scale. Work with the project’s integrated design team to develop a case study that, at a minimum, addresses the following criteria:
- Project details (e.g., name, size, project type, former land use, terrestrial biome, budget for landscape and site portion only)
- Project summary
- Project team
- Site context (i.e., location, climate, pre-design site constraints and opportunities)
- Challenges and solutions
- Sustainable features
- Environmental, social, and economic performance benefits
- Cost comparison of sustainable vs. conventional strategies
- Lessons learned
- Maintenance and monitoring (i.e., description of how the project promotes long-term sustainability)
Share the completed case study and project images with the public in at least two locations by making them available to the Sustainable Sites InitiativeTM and other related organizations and conferences for the purposes of increasing the knowledge base on site sustainability.

RECOMMENDED STRATEGIES

Capture many “before” photos of the site prior to construction in addition to “after” (completed) photos.
Communicate the case study needs to the entire team early in the design process.
Provide guidelines for setting sustainability principles and performance goals.
Develop and communicate methodologies that help to define performance benefits (economic, social, and environmental). Consult with related disciplines to identify the most appropriate metrics.
Derive quantifiable benefits from tools such as monitoring data, post-occupancy evaluations, and design calculations.
Describe limitations and lessons learned to advance the knowledge base of site sustainability.