According to the Chatham College Sustainable Landscape Design Program, ''landscape architects are involved in analyzing the climate, soil, slope, drainage, vegetation, sunlight, and angles of a site; assessing the impact of existing buildings, roads, and walkways; creating working drawings; defining methods of construction and creating lists of materials; and supervising the installation of designs by developers and landscape contractors.''
Architects focusing on sustainable landscape design often follow the concept of xeriscaping, selecting plants and other features that necessitate less water, which is especially useful in the western US, where maintaining a verdant lawn in summertime can be quite expensive. Additionally, to create a yard that will not require as much water, architects will also use lesser-known ornamental grasses, add rocks or gravel to take up space decoratively, and use plants that naturally grow in the surrounding area.
Roberto G. Lopez, assistant professor and floriculture extension specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University, researches and teaches about greenhouse and floriculture crops. He is ''responsible for providing greenhouse growers and research-based information on sustainable, energy-efficient, and grower-friendly decision-support tools necessary to enhance profit margins, quality, and production of current, new, and specialty ornamental crops,'' according to the university’s website.
Lopez and his team are currently working on research to allow potted poinsettias to grow at a lower temperature to optimize greenhouse temperatures and consume less energy. They are also conducting research about consumers’ willingness to pay higher prices for more sustainably grown plants and growers’ compliance with changing to more sustainable methods.
University of Arkansas landscape architecture professor Carl Smith recently published a book, Residential Landscape Sustainability: A Checklist Tool, that provides clear instructions, photographs, and charts for student and professional landscape architects. He emphasized the importance of utilizing trees and multifunctional space to sustainable design.
''Open spaces can be used for play, seating, an orchard, compost. A road is not just a conduit for cars but a place where kids can play and people meet,'' Smith said.
He added that trees offer so much value but are often left out of design plans because homeowners fear damage to plumbing lines and foundations.
The book includes a 34-page point-based list of sustainable residential design features such as providing outdoor space for composting, vegetable gardening, and clothes drying, along with avoiding any planting that would block solar heating.
According to the US Department of Labor, employment of landscape architects is expected to increase by 16% during the next decade largely because the growing population will require new construction that must be planned in the least environmentally disruptive way, especially in order to conserve water and avoid facilitating the pollution of waterways.
''Ultimately, sustainable design is not about the environment; it’s about people. I get a kick out of designing spaces where people are going to spend a significant amount of time,'' Smith said.
