2019 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture

SITES Education

The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) is the most comprehensive program and toolkit for developing sustainable landscapes. The SITES program is based on the understanding that land is a crucial component of the built environment and can be planned, designed, developed, and maintained to protect and enhance the benefits we derive from healthy functioning landscapes.

Nearly 170 projects and more than 230 million gross square feet of space across 36 U.S. states and 11 countries have already registered or certified with SITES. SITES certification has been awarded to 65 of those projects, 18 of which were certified using the current SITES v2 Rating System.

GBCI SITES-specific continuing education at the 2019 ASLA Conference on Landscape Architecture:

DD-001 Boots on the Ground: Measuring Landscape Performance in the Field

Friday, November 15
8:30 - 11:30 am
Room 20A

3.0 PDH, LA CES/HSW, GBCI SITES, AICP, CMAA, FL, NY/HSW

There is a growing necessity to use landscape performance to quantify the sustainability benefits of landscape architecture. This session presents methods that every landscape architect or design firm can use to assess multiple aspects of site performance, starting with data sampling basics and including metrics used toward attaining SITES certification.

To ensure the most successful learning outcomes and inform discussions during the group breakouts, we are seeking input from our members. TAKE SURVEY

Speakers: Emily R. McCoy, ASLA, Design Workshop; Danielle Pieranunzi, SITES AP, Green Business Certification, Inc.; Michele Adams, LEED AP, Meliora Design; Kathleen Wolf, University of Washington

SAT-A03 – I Can See Clearly Now – Landscape Design for Air Quality

Saturday, November 16
11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Room 20A

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, GBCI SITES, ISA, FL, NY/HSW

Air quality is one of the latest frontiers for landscape architects to blend placemaking and environmental remediation. To effectively address air quality, design interventions must be appropriately paired with technology and research. This session will provide a playbook for cleaning the atmosphere, with special attention given to California case studies.

Speakers: Kurt Culbertson, FASLA, FAICP, Design Workshop; Melissa Lunden, ACLIMA Inc.; Esther Margulies, ASLA, Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, USC School of Architecture

PPN-004 - Sustainable Design & Development PPN Meeting: Marketing the Sustainable SITES Initiative & Return on Investment

Saturday, November 16
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
PPN Live (EXPO floor)

1.00 PDH, LA CES/HSW, GBCI SITES

The Sustainable SITES Initiative provides an excellent professional framework for landscape architecture design. One implementation stumbling block, however, is getting clients on board. This session presents a “SITES in 10” slideshow for practitioners focusing on the return on investment from the client’s and end users’ perspectives.

Speakers: Theresa Backhus, ASLA, SITES AP, LEED AP BD+C & ND, Sustainable Building Partners; Brian Maddock, ASLA, SITES AP, Joshua Tree Design Studio; Joshua Sloan, ASLA, AICP, LEED AP ND, SITES AP, VIKA MD, LLC

SUN-B11 – The Role of Stormwater Management in Landscape Architecture

Sunday, November 17
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Room 20D

1.00 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, GBCI SITES, FL, NY/HSW

ASLA advocacy of the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (H.R. 7279), a bill aimed at promoting better stormwater management, helped it become law. This session examines the benefits of green infrastructure design and low impact development, including satisfying regulatory requirements, earning rating systems credits, offering amenities, and designing within water budgets.

Speakers: Neal Shapiro, LEED Green Associate, City of Santa Monica, Office of Sustainability & the Environment; Russell Ackerman, SITES AP, City of Santa Monica

SUN-C07 Shifting Trends: Exploring SITES Opportunities in China

Sunday, November 17
3:30 – 4:45 pm
Room 22

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, GBCI SITES, AICP, CMAA, FL

The shifting focus in China toward more urban redevelopment and improvements to environmental quality over sprawl provides unprecedented opportunities for the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES). Through an overall market analysis and case studies, this session offers various perspectives on how to achieve SITES certification in China projects.

Speakers: Dou Zhang, ASLA, LEED AP, SITES AP, Sasaki; Lingling Gong, Shanghai EXPO Urban Best Practice Area Business Development Co.,Ltd; Danielle Pieranunzi, SITES AP, Green Business Certification, Inc.

MON-A06 – Breaking Free from Tropical Hardwoods: New Alternatives for Sustainability

Monday, November 18
8:30 – 10:00 am
Room 29AB

1.50 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AIA/HSW, AICP, GBCI SITES, CMAA, FL, NY/HSW

Dependency on tropical hardwoods is unsustainable given current rates of use, ecosystem degradation, and slow renewal rates. Fortunately, there are new alternatives that are durable, beautiful, and renewable. In this session learn how to use and work with thermally modified, acetylated, and polymerized woods, fused bamboo lumber, and black locust.

Speakers: Meg Calkins, FASLA, North Carolina State University; Laura Solano, ASLA, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.; Thomas Amoroso, ASLA, Andropogon

MON-B09 – Doing the Extraordinary: Design Excellence Through Sustainable SITES Legislation

Monday, November 18
10:30 – 11:45 am
Room 32AB

1.50 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AIA/HSW, AICP, GBCI SITES, CMAA, FL

Can we achieve extraordinary design, impact, influence, equity, and sustainability through SITES legislation? How can we do this? Learn from Rhode Island's historic Green Buildings Act, becoming the first state in the nation adopting LEED for Neighborhood Development and the highly strategic SITES guiding frameworks into public law.

Speakers: Kenneth J. Filarski, FAIA, SITES AP; Kevin Burke, ASLA, Atlanta BeltLine Inc.; Michele Adams, LEED AP, Meliora Design

PPN-004 - SITES in 10 – Achieving Sustainability Goals and Return on Investment
Sustainable Design & Development Professional Practice Network Meeting

Saturday, November 16
12:30 – 1:30 PM
PPN Live in ASLA EXPO

1.0 LA CES/HSW,GBCI SITES

The Sustainable SITES Initiative provides an excellent professional framework for landscape architecture design. One implementation stumbling block, however, is getting clients on board. This session presents a “SITES in 10” slideshow for practitioners focusing on the return on investment from the perspectives of the client and end user.

As more and more practitioners make the case for SITES, we want to empower them with the tools to advocate for certification. As a SITES AP, you have most likely been an advocate of the SITES Rating System in a pitch to your clients. The Sustainable Design & Development PPN leadership team wants to hear from practitioners like you who have been a part of those conversations, and can share how the SITES Rating System leads to achieving your project sustainability goals and to higher returns on investment.

USGBC-SITES Booth Information

ASLA EXPO
Saturday November 16 - Sunday, November 17
Booth: 1943

The SITES Rating System is owned and administered by the Green Business Certification Inc., the certification body for the LEED green building program from U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). USGBC staff will be on hand to answer questions about documentation, technical requirements, and strategies to achieve the best performing project possible.

Visit the SITES booth (#1943) to learn how to register your project or apply for the SITES AP exam.