Chapter 6: Sustainable Sites Flashcards
Albedo
A metric to define the reflectivity of an object from the darkest black to white using a scale from 0 to 1
Aquifer
A body of saturated rock through which water can easily move
Biodiversity
The variety of all life on earth including plants, animals, insects, micro-organisms, and humans
Bioswale
A constructed rainwater control feature containing an engineered basin, soil, stone, and vegetation designed to reduce rainwater runoff and increase groundwater recharge.
Building Footprint
The area of ground that the building occupies as defined by its perimeter.
Dry Pond
An excavated area designed to hold rainwater during a rain event, but is dry when there is no precipitation.
Ecosystem
A complex set of interconnected relationships between the living organisms of a specific place that form a system, including plants, trees, animals, fish, birds, micro-organisms, water, soil, and humans.
Floor-Area Raito (FAR)
The density of nonresidential land use, exclusive of structured parking, measured as the total nonresidential building floor area divided by the total buildable land area available for nonresidential structures.
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 or site.
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.
Impervious
The characteristic of a material preventing the penetration of liquids and/or gases.
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.
Light Trespass
The spillage of light across a project boundary onto neighboring sites.
Low Impact Development (LID)
A land management strategy that emulates natural systems to manage rainwater as close to its source as possible.
Native and Adapted Species
Plants that are either native to the region or have adapted to the region and require little to no irrigation.
Nonpoint Source Pollution
Water pollution caused by pollutants, such as gasoline, oil, salt, and fertilizers, which are washed into the nearest water bodies by rainwater runoff.
Pervious
The characteristic of a material allowing the penetration of liquids and/or gases
Rain Garden
A depressed area of ground containing soil, stone, and vegetation that is designed to catch and slow rainwater.
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.
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.
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.
Watershed
The area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes to the same place.
Xeriscaping
Landscaping designed to reduce or eliminate potable water use in irrigation through the planting of native and adapted species of vegetation and the use of other water-conserving techniques.
What is the intent of the Sustainable Sites Category?
To reduce the environmental impact of developing a building site and maintaining it for the life of the building.
What are the 2 intents of the Site Design and Management Credits?
1) To guide the construction and management of the project throughout its lifetime to limit environmental destruction inherent to building
2) To make use of existing site features to enhance overall sustainability and occupant experience
7 Site Design and Management Strategies?
1) Prevent Construction Pollution
2) Protect and Restore Habitat
3) Reduce Size of the Building Footprint
4) Increase Site Density
5) Maximize Open Space
6) Plant Native and Adopted Species
7) Develop a Sustainable Site Management Plan
What is the intent of the Rainwater Management Credit?
To reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality by duplicating the natural hydrology and water balance of the site based on historical conditions and undeveloped ecosystems in the region.
4 Rainwater Management Strategies?
1) Reduce Impervious Hardscapes
2) Implement Rainwater Management
3) Use Passive Rainwater Management
4) Use Active Rainwater Management
What is Passive Rainwater Management?
A system that redirects rainwater to planted areas where it is allowed to saturate the soil.
What is Active Rainwater Management?
A system that captures, stores, and later transports rainwater by another means to a desired application area.
4 Sustainable Sites Credit Categories
1) Site Design and Management
2) Rainwater Management
3) Heat Island
4) Light Pollution
What is the intent of the Heat Island Credit?
To reduce heat islands and minimize their effects on regional climates, human health, and wildlife habitats.
2 Heat Island Strategies
1) Reduce Exposed Hardscapes
2) Use High-Reflectance Materials
3 Main Forms of Light Pollution
1) Uplight
2) Glare
3) Light Trespass
What is the intent of the Light Pollution Credit?
To avoid poor lighting design that creates light pollution and other environmental problems.
2 Light Pollution Strategies
1) Install motion sensors and timers
2) Eliminate unnecessary lighting
What is the BUG Rating Method
Stands for Backlight, Uplight, Glare and it classifies lights according to their potential to generate light pollution.
