The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part III – The Importance of Location, Orientation and Landscaping

By Chris de Morsella on May 6, 2009 Comments Off on The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part III – The Importance of Location, Orientation and Landscaping bicycle friendly, brownfield, construction waste reuse, electric grid, energy efficiency, environmental design, environmental impact, gas utility, green Buildings, green landscaping, greenfield, healthful building, inner city, inner environment, landfill, landscape, local labor, local materials, local regional economy, local sourcing, mass transit, material efficiency, natural lighting, natural materials, natural ventilation, non-toxic materials, pedestrian friendly, rain garden, rain water filtration, recycling, resource-efficient, runoff, sewage utility, storm water runoff, sustainable buildings, swale, transit system, urban environment, Water Efficiency, water pollution, water utility

For new projects where the building site is not already decided, an important green consideration is the selection of a location for the building that fits into the existing urban fabric, especially the existing mass transit network of the city. Prospective sites should also be selected based on how easily they can integrate into the existing electric, gas, water, and sewage utilities. Fitting into a city’s existing infrastructure so that a project has the smallest impact on the existing energy, water, sewage and road systems is the first point at which the green decision making process comes into play. In addition to siting a green building should be oriented and landscaped to make the most of its site ant to integrate into the urban fabric so that it organically fits into it and enhances its surroundings. Orientation and landscaping can have major impacts on a buildings water and energy efficiency as well as on its environmental impact.