PA 7.0: Study + Living Design for Advanced Resiliency Using a Diversity of Ecology Based Perspectives – Above Green

(5-15 points)

INTENT

Develop a living design approach for robust sustainability comprised of long-term adaptation + mitigation, restoration, regeneration + resilience that supports overall community vitality and quality-of-life. The approach should support mitigating the negative impacts of climate change, nonrenewable resource depletion, ecological degradation and socio-economic change + inequity.

Use multiple ecologically based design + planning perspectives including Green, Healthy, Just, Living, Net-zero/Net-positive, Sustainable, Resilient, Restorative + Regenerative to develop design interventions that result in emergent, relational systems.

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.

Use multiple ecologically based design + planning frames including: Green, Healthy, Just, Living, net-Zero/Net Positive, Sustainable, Restorative + Regenerative to develop interventions.

STRUCTURE + COMMUNITY | REQUIREMENTS

Study and develop holistic scenarios that work across system scales (site, community + region), across system realms (social, economic + environmental) and across timelines (crisis, short-term + long-term) using credits from other sections of RELi and other leadership sources if needed.

Overall, the approach should seek to be net-positive with internalized and externalized benefits outpacing negative outcomes at multiple scales, in all realms, and across an extended arc of time.

Develop scenarios based on the project’s sphere of influence that are both internal to the project’s physical site boundaries, and external to those boundaries.

PA Action 7.1 Nested System Scenario (5 points)

PA Action 7.1(A): Study

Explore opportunities for long-term adaptability relevant to the project scope. During the pre-design phase study and document a series of Nested System Scenarios developed around the line-items on page 14.

First 3 Diagrams: At least 2 diagrams must contain a Basic Infrastructure System as identified in the System List. Additional Diagrams (up to 5).

PA Action 7.1(B): Design + Execution

Note: Action A must be completed before Action 2

Design and document a series of Nested System Scenarios developed around the line-items from the System List (see page 12). Documentation can include versions of the Nested System Scenarios studied refined to reflect the final design. The diagrams should be combined with select construction documents and other documentation showing the system or system components. If systems were developed other than those studied, develop documentation consistent with those studied and as described above.

The 3 credits used to support the Sphere Diagrams must perform in the top quartile of the performance requirements for that credit: i.e., the credits must earn at least 75% of the points available or meet the top tiers of performance criteria.

PA Action 7.2 Design (10 points)

Develop and Execute Strategies from the Opportunities Studied

First 3 Diagrams: At least two diagrams must contain Basic Infrastructure Systems.

1. Spheres of Influence

The project will identify spheres of influence in which multiple subsystems are interconnected (Nested System Scenarios). These systems may exist at different scales and they do not all have to be contained within the project’s immediate physical boundary. Develop Spheres of Influence for the project in which multiple project subsystems interconnect to improve efficiency and mitigate negative impacts. They must also exhibit at least two or more of the following resilience characteristics: adaptation, diversity, redundancy, buffers and/or stockpiles, health and/or social capital. If possible, the system contributes to the overall vitality and quality of all life in the area, exhibiting restorative and regenerative properties. Describe all of the system contributions on the diagram.

2. Guidance on System Scenarios + Spheres of Influence

4-minute TED Talk: Simplifying Complexity

3. Nested System Scenarios + Sphere Diagrams

The project team will generate Sphere of Influence diagrams (Sphere Diagrams) illustrating Nested Systems Scenarios for the project. Use 5-7 indicators per Sphere Diagram representing at least three different line-items from the System.

Sub-Indicators can be bundled to create the Indicators listed on the Sphere Diagram. Sub-Indicators must be clearly identified.

Include a minimum of three credits from this checklist that are used on the project and that support the line-items from the Systems List being developed. Up to three indicators from other leadership + next-generation sources used on the project and/or indicators developed specifically for the project can be included.

Guidance:

Resiliency Case Study Using Systems Scenarios + Sphere Diagrams: Maldives Islands Carbon Neutral Project: University of Minnesota

SYSTEMS LIST

Basic Infrastructure:

Energy, Energy-related systems + thermal comfort, thermal safety
Hazard preparedness and mitigation
Sanitation-related systems (grey water, Blackwater + Contaminated Process Water)
Transportation
Water-related systems (efficiency + rain water, site water, potable water, recycled)

Essential Components: Approaches that can extend the useful life of the project through robustness + diversity, and adaptability + reuse/recycling.

Affordable + Intergenerational Housing
Ecological Health + Wellness
Food, Compost + Soil (including on-site, Community + Regional)
Human Health + Wellness
Local + Regional Economic + Knowledge Diversity
Local + Regional Jobs / Employment (Living Wage 1X, Minimum Wage 1/3 Credit)
Local + Regional Socio-Economic Equity
Local + Regional Socio-Economic/Ecological Productivity
Local Resources* + Production Capacity*
Mixed-use districts / areas: general
Mixed-use districts / areas: live-work, maker space, retail
Open Space + Public Open Space
Public Space + The Commons (must be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders)

AND

Nested Systems Overlay Mapping

As the Nested Systems Scenarios are developed, overlay the explorations on top of each other in a stacked diagram to identify indicators that are used frequently. Frequent use is an indicator of their importance in maintaining the integrity of multiple systems. Include these iterative studies in the documentation. Develop a final Nested Systems Overlay Diagram illustrating the five most frequently used indicators.

Double Nested Systems Scenario

During the pre-design phase study and document a series of System Scenarios as described below for three diagrams.

DESIGN AND EXECUTION

The Study must be completed to pursue this credit. Design and document a series of System Scenarios as described above for Nested System Scenarios. Documentation can include versions of the Study adapted to reflect the final design combined with select Construction Documents and other documents showing the system or system components. If systems were developed other than those studied, develop documentation consistent with those studied as described above.

Apply the directions for Nested Systems Scenarios to Double Nested System Scenarios by developing a Sphere Diagram interconnecting indicators already included in other Nested System Scenarios and illustrating how the resulting Double Nested System exhibits an additional scale of improved efficiency, mitigated negative impacts, and preferably net positive results. The Double Nested System must also exhibit at least two or more of the following resilience characteristics: adaptation, diversity, redundancy, buffers and/or stockpiles, health and/or social capital. If possible, the system contributes to the overall vitality and quality of all life in the area, exhibiting restorative and regenerative properties. Describe all of the system contributions on the diagram.