The main intents of the Sustainable Sites (SS) category.

Reduce the environmental impact of developing a site & maintaining the site for the
life of the building
VIA
managing
- building site
- runoff
- heat island
- light pollution

Site Design and Management Intents

- guide the construction and management of project for its lifetime, to minimize
environmental destruction
- use existing site features to enhance overall sustainability. and occupant
experience

Site Design and Management Strategies

- prevent construction pollution
- protect & restore habitat
- reduce building footprint
- increase density
- maximize open space
- plant native species
- develop sustainable site management plan

SITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:

prevent construction pollution
How do you do it?
Project has an erosions and sedimentation control plan for controlling:
soil erosion, waterway sedimentation, and generation of airborne dust

SITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:

restore habitat
How do you do it?
- Designate areas as protected habitat and open space
-Restore native soils, plants, and hydrology of previously developed/disturbed sites

ecosystem
A complex set of interconnected relationships between the living organisms of a
specific place that form a system. Includes plants, trees, animals, fish, birds, micro-
organisms, water, soil, and humans.

biodiversity
The variety of life on earth or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Includes plants,
animals, insects, micro-organisms, and humans.
SITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:
reduce building footprint & increase density
How do you do it?
- Design a small footprint
- Build up, not out

building footprint
The area of ground that the building occupies as defined by its perimeter.

floor-area ratio (FAR)

building floor area/total buildable land area available

SITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:

maximize open space & plant native species
How do you do it?
- Provide outdoor space greater than/equal to 30% of the total site area.
- Create exterior space that encourages interaction with the environmental, social
interaction, passive recreation, and physical activities
- incorporate native/adaptive species in landscaping

native and adapted species

Plants that are either native to the region or have adapted to the region and require
little to no irrigation.

SITE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:

sustainable site management plan
How do you do it?
address:
-chemicals used on site
-cleaning of hardscapes and building exterior
-pesticide use

Rainwater Management Intents

-Reduce rainwater runoff
- improve water quality
- duplicate natural hydrology and water balance of site
- Reduce building's use of potable water

Rainwater Management Strategies

- reduce impervious hardscape
- use passive rainwater management
- use active rainwater management
RAINWATER MANAGMENT STRATEGY:
reduce impervious hardscape
How do you do it?
- green roof
- pervious surfaces for sidewalks and parking

rainwater runoff
Water from precipitation that runs off of impervious hardscapes in the built
environment, such as sidewalks, roofs, and parking lots, into the nearest water
bodies and sewer systems.

non point sources pollution

water pollution caused by pollutants, such as gasoline, oil, salt, and fertilizers, which
are washed into the nearest water bodies by rainwater runoff

watershed
An area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes to the
same place.

aquifer
a body of saturated rock through which water can easily move

impervious
prevents penetration of liquids and/or gas

pervious
allows penetration of liquids and/or gas

rainwater harvesting
Precipitation captured with a cistern or other catchment device from outside the
building for use in irrigation, flush fixtures, or building processes, but not for potable
uses.

xeriscaping
landscaping using native plants, which minimize the need for additional water

RAINWATER MANAGMENT STRATEGY:

implement active rainwater management
How do you do it?
collect & redistribute rainwater for:
- irrigation
- process water
- flushing fixtures inside
*CANNOT be used for drinking water
green infrastructure (GI)
The patchwork of natural areas that provide habitat, flood protection, clean air, and
clean water at the scale of a city or county.
OR
Rainwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water
at the scale of a neighborhood our site.

RAINWATER MANAGMENT STRATEGY:

use passive rainwater management
How do you do it?
redirects rainwater to:
- planted areas
- areas designed to filter and drain back to earth

low impact development (LID)

a land management strategy that emulates natural systems to manage rainwater as
close to its source as possible

integrated pest management (IPM)

A sustainable approach of controlling pest infestation and damage in an economical
way while minimizing hazards to people, property, and the environment.

bioswale
A constructed rainwater control feature containing an engineered basin, soil, stone,
and vegetation designed to reduce rainwater runoff and increase groundwater
recharge.

dry pond
An excavated area designed to hold rainwater during a rain event, but is dry when
there is no precipitation

rain garden
A depressed area of ground containing soil, stone, and vegetation that is designed to
catch and slow rainwater.

Heat Island Effect Intent

design building and site that has minimal contributions to heat island effect

Heat Island Effect Strategies

- reduce exposed hardscape
- use high reflectance materials

heat island effect

The absorption of solar heat by hardscapes such as roofs, roads, parking lots, and
sidewalks, and includes other sources such as automobiles, HVAC equipment, and
street and building lighting.
HEAT ISLAND EFFECT STRATEGY:
reduce exposed hardscape
How do you do it?
- green roofs
- pervious pavers
- trees/shaded landscaping
- locating parking underground

HEAT ISLAND EFFECT STRATEGY:

use high reflectance materials
How do you do it?
use materials with a high solar reflectance index (SRI)

albedo
A metric defining reflectivity of a surface from darkest black to white, using a scale
from 0 to 1

solar reflectance index (SRI)

A metric from 0 to 100 that measures how well a material reflects solar heat, with
higher numbers signifying better reflectance.

Light Pollution Intents

Reduce light pollution because of its negative impacts on nocturnal and migratory
animals and its destruction of our own circadian rhythms and melatonin production

Light Pollution Strategies

- use motion sensors
- eliminate unnecessary lighting

LIGHT POLLUTION STRATEGY:

use motion sensors
How do you do it?
Install in areas where people may not be present for long periods of time

LIGHT POLLUTION STRATEGY:

eliminate unnecessary lighting
How do you do it?
- locate fixtures appropriately/avoid over lighting
- choose BUG rated fixtures, which reduce backlight, uplight, glare

light trespass
the spillage of light across a project boundary onto neighboring sites