Sustainable Building Technical Manual - Etn-presco.net

Figure 5TREE PROTECTION FENCING❑ Restore the native landscape.If disturbance is necessary, restore native plantings by reintroducing the same species.Habitat restoration helps to provide environments for wildlife displaced by development.Constructed landscapes that mimic ecological habitat models can decrease lifecyclemaintenance costs, enhance wildlife survival, and blend edges of adjoining urbanand rural areas.❑ Minimize use of high-maintenance lawns.Most turfgrasses typically require more inputs of water, maintenance, and chemicalsthan other types of plants. Native or drought-tolerant turf species or beds planted withshrubs, groundcover, and perennials can replace non-native lawns. In order to irrigatelawns efficiently, design them with relatively small perimeter areas and in flowing,rounded shapes. Long, skinny, or oddly shaped turf areas are difficult to negotiate withmost irrigation equipment.❑ Minimize use of annual plants.Annuals often require more irrigation than perennials,as well as higher labor and capital inputs forseasonal replanting. Perennial plantings can bedesigned to include a wide range of species toensure staggered bloom cycles for long periods ofcolor interest. Many perennials do require someadditional maintenance such as seasonal pruning,which should be taken into account in maintenanceplans.❑ Establish high and low maintenance zones.Group plants with similar water-use needs by determiningwhich areas of the site should receive ahigher level of care than others and, during droughtperiods, more irrigation. Coordinate these areaswith the irrigation plan. Higher-maintenance areasshould be located around major building entriesand high-traffic areas. Lower-maintenance zones arelow-traffic areas, buffer zones, and service areas.Gray- and Blackwater Systems★ S I G N I F I CA N C E .Worldwide industrial-sector water consumption totals973 cubic kilometers per year. 1 0 Most of the wastewaterflow(s) generated from this use is treatedthrough conventional, centralized sewage treatmentplants that require large inputs of capital, energy, andchemicals, and then is discharged into waterways,sometimes causing negative environmental conditionssuch as algae blooms.Source: City of Austin, Environmental and Conservation ServicesDepartment, Sustainable Building Sourcebook. (Austin: City of Austin,1993).The current capital need for new or upgraded sewagetreatment plants totals over $66 billion nationally. 1 1Alternative sewage systems can help minimizewater-quality impacts and are often less costly tooperate than conventional treatment plants. Theyoften require less energy, less capital investment,and smaller quantities of chemicals. Alternative