Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors, Second Edition

J. William Thompson, Kim Sorvig

Island Press, Nov 13, 2007 - Architecture - 416 pages

Published at the beginning of the twenty-first century, Sustainable Landscape Construction took a new approach to what was then a nearly new subject: how to construct outdoor environments based on principles of sustainability. This enormously influential book helped to spur a movement that has taken root around the U.S. and throughout the world. The second edition has been thoroughly updated to include the most important developments in this landscape revolution, along with the latest scientific research in the field. It has been expanded to provide even more ideas for designing, building, and maintaining environmentally sensitive landscapes. It is essential reading for everyone with an interest in “green” landscape design.



Like its predecessor, the new edition of Sustainable Landscape Construction is organized around principles that reflect the authors’ desire to put environmental ethics into practice. Each chapter focuses on one over-arching idea. These principles of sustainability are clearly articulated and are developed through specific examples. More than 100 projects from around the globe are described and illustrated. A new chapter details ways in which landscape architectural practice must respond to the dangers posed by fire, floods, drought, extreme storms, and climate change.



Sustainable Landscape Construction is a crucial complement to basic landscape construction texts, and is a one-of-a-kind reference for professionals, students, and concerned citizens.

What people are saying

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User Review -

Time has changed. A few years ago, few people knew about sustainable design and construction, green buildings or LEED. Today, sustainable design and construction has gone mainstream. How do we know? We actually have clients asking us to design a LEED certified building or do a sustainable landscape design. Architecture and landscape architecture are knowledge-based, service-oriented professions. Architects and landscape architects have to catch up and become experts in sustainable design and construction, green buildings and LEED to be able to provide the necessary professional service to the clients. "Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors" is one of the best books on sustainable design and construction. It covers 10 principles of sustainable landscape construction: keep healthy sites healthy (preserve topsoils and existing trees, minimize construction damages, etc.), heal injured sites, favor living, flexible materials, respect the waters of life (understand, protect and restore wetlands, restore rivers and streams to full health, collect and conserve water, reuse gray water, etc.), pave less (reduce paving, reduce runoff from paving, use porous paving, etc.), consider origin and fate of materials (Use local, salvaged or recycled materials, avoid toxic and non-renewable materials, etc.), know the cost of energy over time, celebrate light, respect darkness (lighting efficiency and light pollution control), quietly defend silence (various ways of noise control), and maintain to sustain (alternate to mowing, bio-based maintenance products, etc.). Each principle is demonstrated with case studies and followed by resources for further studies. "Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors" has 416 pages and many line drawings and interior black-and-white photos. It is one of the most comprehensive books on sustainable landscape construction. Copyright 2007 Gang Chen, author of "Planting Design Illustrated"  

Contents

• Sustainability in Context: 1
• Keep Healthy Sites Healthy: 37
• Heal Injured Sites: 71
• Favor Living Flexible Materials: 113
• Respect the Waters of Life: 152
• Pave Less: 198
• Consider Origin and Fate of Materials: 224
• Know the Costs of Energy over Time: 262
• Celebrate Light Respect Darkness: 293
• Quietly Defend Silence: 312
• Maintain to Sustain: 322
• Conclusions and Beginnings: 338
• Notes: 349
• Index: 371

Popular passages

Page xxiv - Search with all of the words with the exact phrase with at least one of the words | without the words...‎

Page 1 - Architecture charted a course by defining sustainable landscapes as those that "contribute to human well-being and at the same time are in harmony with the natural environment. They do not deplete or damage other ecosystems. While human activity will have altered native patterns, a sustainable landscape will work with native conditions in its structure and functions. Valuable resources — water, nutrients, soil, et cetera — and energy will be conserved, diversity of species will be maintained...‎

About the author

J. William Thompson is story editor for Landscape Architecture, the magazine

of the American Society of Landscape Architects.



Kim Sorvig is a research assistant professor at the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico, and co-author of the Sustainable Building Technical Manual, published by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Sustainable Landscape Construction: A Guide to Green Building Outdoors, Second Edition
• Authors: J. William Thompson, Kim Sorvig
• Edition: revised
• Publisher: Island Press, 2007
• ISBN: 1597267848, 9781597267847
• Length: 416 pages
• Subjects: Architecture / General; Architecture / Landscape; Architecture / Urban & Land Use Planning