brownfields

At Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, the grounds surrounding its Center for Sustainable Landscapes earned top SITES certification. Located in Pittsburgh, PA, the 2.9 acre site features 100 native plant species, water conserving design, and other practices that significantly lighten the environmental impact of this landscape. The facility was certified SITES Platinum in 2019. Here is an overview of the project, and how the landscape design fits into the facility’s overall sustainable focus. In 2012, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA opened the Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL). Today, this is the world’s first and only facility to meet these five green building standards—the Living Building Challenge, LEED Platinum, WELL Building Platinum, SITES Platinum, and, most recently, BREEAM Outstanding In-Use. CSL is a research, education, and administration facility designed to meet net-positive energy use with renewable energy produced on site, captures all stormwater, treats all sanitary water, and uses 70% less energy than a conventional office building. Its design blurs the line between built and natural environments; the sun, earth and wind are used to light, heat and cool the interior, plants clean wastewater for reuse, and every occupied space has views of nature. The CSL site, and now landscaping, represented an ecological rebirth for the location. Previously, the 2.9-acre site was a City of Pittsburgh Public Works Yard, entirely paved over and portions classified as a brownfield. There were no existing natural land covers or ecosystems to preserve or protect.   Now, the site can now manage ...