SWIM
This SWIM section provides further information on achieving SITES credits and prerequisites at the Exhibit Staging Center.
Click the links below to learn more information about each category of this section.
Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7 | Section 8 | Section 9 | Section 10
Section 1: Site Context
Particular attention is placed on understanding the context of where a project is located and developed. SITES requires careful planning and the protection of existing, functioning natural features that are unique, critical, sensitive, or threatened, such as farmlands, floodplains, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. These features provide essential ecosystem functions for wildlife, site users, and the surrounding community.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 1.1: Limit development on farmland
Strategy: Avoid sites with farmland soils and floodplain impacts. Locate projects within existing developed areas where infrastructure is already there. Select brownfields and previously developed sites where there are no farmland soils and restore living processes. Demonstrate to the public the value of healthy soils and vegetation as they relate to ecosystem services. - Prerequisite 1.2: Protect floodplain functions.
Strategy: Floodplains act as buffers, absorbing flood events and nourishing floodplain soils and vegetation. Avoid 100 year flood plain. Reduce vulnerability to floods. - Prerequisite 1.3: Conserve aquatic ecosystems.
Strategy: Wetlands are rich, productive ecosystems that cleanse waterways for drinking water and wildlife habitats. Foster environmental stewardship by designing to encourage biodiversity and protect aquatic ecosystems. - Prerequisite 1.4: Conserve habitats for threatened and endangered species.
Strategy: Stable, natural ecosystems control crop pests and carriers of human diseases. Conduct a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI). Avoid sites with endangered species. Provide refuge (native plantings, rock and wood habitats) and reproduction habitats for plants and animals.
Credits
- Credit 1.5: Redevelop degraded sites
Strategy: Redevelopment of brownfields and previously developed sites preserves development of healthy sites and conserves resources. Use existing infrastructure and clean-up contaminated soils. Avoid greenfields and undeveloped sites. - Credit 1.6: Locate projects within existing developed areas
Strategy: Infill development sites reduce urban sprawl and transportation problems associated with urban sprawl. Select sites close to existing infrastructure. - Credit 1.7: Connect to multi-modal transit networks
Strategy: Encourage walking and cycling commuting to improve health and well-being and reduce energy consumption. Select sites close to multi-modal transport assets. Perform a transportation and parking study. Encourage carpooling and alternative modes of transportation and demonstrate value to public.
Section 2: Pre-design Assessment and Planning
Before design begins, an integrated design team must conduct a comprehensive site assessment of existing physical, biological, and cultural conditions that will inform planning and design. This team must include experts in natural systems, design, construction, and maintenance, in addition to representatives of the community, the owners, and the intended site users.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 2.1: Use an integrative design process
Strategy: Bring qualified professionals together who can achieve the respective prerequisites and credits. Have multiple face to face meetings. - Prerequisite 2.2: Conduct a pre-design site assessment
Strategy: Inventory and evaluate the physical and social conditions of the site to identify opportunities and constraints. Combine this site analysis with a program plan to guide the design on the right path from the start. Become involved in site selection process early. - Prerequisite 2.3: Designate and communicate Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones
Strategy: Employ low impact construction on Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones. Vegetation and soil specialists on the team should determine recommended protective measures.
Credits
- Credit 2.4: Engage users and stakeholders
Strategy: Public participation in the design process leads to trust and a commitment to stewardship and a feeling of ownership for site users. Involve as many users, stakeholders and community groups as possible.
Section 3: Site Design: Water
Natural systems are of critical value for their ability to store, clean, and distribute available water. This section encourages projects that are designed to conserve water, maximize the use of precipitation, and protect water quality. For example, a sustainable project may harvest rainwater on site and use it, rather than potable water, for irrigation and water features. The goal is to incorporate strategies and technologies that restore or mimic natural systems.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 3.1: Manage precipitation on site
Strategy: Controlling and conserving rainwater on site prevents negative downstream impacts and reduces costly infrastructure. Increase filtration and infiltration, reduce precipitation volumes, peak flows and pollutants. Design to minimize impervious surfaces. Create living landscapes using rainfall, soil and vegetation features like fountains or pools. - Prerequisite 3.2: Reduce water for landscape irrigation
Strategy: Landscape irrigation in the United States uses seven billion gallons of water per day. A large portion of that total doesn’t need to be treated every day. Use a systems thinking approach and design plantings, soils and other features to be self-sustaining with natural precipitation only. Design the site to maximize use of captured rainwater for landscape elements and reuse graywater and captured rain water. Managing all water on site reduces energy costs for pumping and treating rainwater as well as unnecessary irrigation of landscapes.
Credits
- Credit 3.3: Manage precipitation beyond baseline
Strategy: Manage precipitation beyond the baseline through onsite infiltration and harvest use. - Credit 3.4: Reduce outdoor water use
Strategy: Strive to eliminate outdoor water use and have 100% of annual make up water for water features come from non-potable water sources. - Credit 3.5: Design functional rainwater features as amenities
Strategy: Blend healing qualities of water while promoting stewardship of natural hydrological systems. Design and maintain water features as natural ecosystems that function and have aesthetic appeal. - Credit 3.6: Restore aquatic ecosystems
Strategy: Rehabilitate streams and wetlands to benefit wildlife, improve productive aquatic ecosystems and raise property values of waterside properties. Prepare a plan to restore and manage the aquatic ecosystems on site.
Section 4: Site Design: Soil and Vegetation
This section requires proper soil management as a design element and construction priority. In addition to serving as the foundation for robust vegetation, healthy soils filter pollutants and help prevent excess runoff, erosion, sedimentation, and flooding. Using appropriate vegetation, managing invasive plants, and restoring biodiversity (emphasizing native species) are some key strategies that have multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits. They can reduce or eliminate landscape irrigation, increase the quality of wildlife habitat, promote regional identity, and reduce maintenance needs.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 4.1: Create and communicate a soil management plan
Strategy: Use a decision making hierarchy of preservation, conservation and regeneration to minimize soil disturbance and conserve healthy soils and vegetation, thus improving water and air purification, carbon sequestration, rainwater management and wildlife habitats. Before construction, prepare a soil management plan that describes soil restoration treatment during construction and revegetation. Limit soil disturbance during construction. Consider future maintenance. Add compost from the site to restore soils. Use topsoil as topsoil and sub-soil as subsoil. Subsoil can be amended to be topsoil. Clearly define and communicate soil protection and restoration goals. - Prerequisite 4.2: Control and manage invasive plants
Strategy: Prepare a management plan that addresses the cost of combating invasive plants and hinders establishment of invasive plants. - Prerequisite 4.3: Use appropriate plants
Strategy: Use the best plants for the cultural conditions and save money on landscape maintenance. Ecologists, landscape architects, horticulturalists and soil scientists should collaborate on appropriate plants and planting plan.
Credits
- Credit 4.4: Conserve healthy soils and appropriate vegetation
Strategy: Healthy soils store carbon, promote biological activity and the cycling of nutrients. They promote healthy plant growth. Preserving healthy soils saves money by reducing the need for soil restoration and expensive earthwork grading and drainage. Utilize previously disturbed soils for construction lay down, vehicular ways, etc. Limit construction to a tight envelope around the development. - Credit 4.5: Conserve special status vegetation
Strategy: Special status plants provide a historical and cultural tie to the community. Protect these valuable plants from harm during construction. - Credit 4.6: Conserve and use native plants
Strategy: Foster environmental stewardship by using native plants to provide habitats for important pollinators and wildlife that are necessary for agriculture. Support hunting, fishing, boating and other recreational activities. Maintain healthy soil and integrate native plants throughout the landscape. - Credit 4.7: Conserve and restore native plant communities
Strategy: Develop a more complete ecosystem that can be identified as a wetland, woodland and grassland. Include soils associated with aquatic ecosystems, slope orientation and microclimate. Address the process of plant succession in the landscape. Plant native plants in communities that help maintain ecosystems and habitat. - Credit 4.8: Optimize biomass
Strategy: Measure the optimal plant layers covering the ground that are appropriate to a particular regional climate. Use trees, green roofs and walls to cover un-vegetated surfaces. Select shade tolerant and sun tolerant species that will adjust in the understory as trees and shrubs as they mature. Strive to optimize vegetation biomass to achieve a 10 year biomass density index. - Credit 4.9: Reduce urban heat island effects
Strategy: Reduce energy usage to lower the cost of air conditioning. Tree canopies provide shade, which moderates heat island effects. Reduce heat absorption by exterior surface to save energy and provide shade and relief to benefit human health and well-being. Place parking under cover. Use reflective coatings. Use shade from appropriate trees. - Credit 4.10: Use vegetation to minimize building energy use
Strategy: Use a systems thinking approach to realize energy savings that cool in the summer (like shade trees and vines) and reduce heat loss in winter (windbreaks). A vegetated roof and walls will help insulate the building as well as provide ecosystem services for water retention and habitat. - Credit 4.11: Reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire
Strategy: Design to protect against fire and management of fuels on site to reduce risks to people’s lives, property and local ecosystems.
Section 5: Site Design: Materials Selection
Appropriate selection and use of materials can contribute to a project’s ability to support and enhance ecosystem services on the site and wherever the material exists throughout its life-cycle. The demolition, selection, procurement, and use of materials in site design and construction present considerable opportunities to decrease the amount of materials sent to landfills, to preserve natural resources, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to support the use of sustainable building products.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 5.1: Eliminate the use of wood from threatened tree species
Strategy: Use composite lumber or recycled plastic instead of wood. Identify suppliers of wood from sustainably managed forests.
Credits
- Credit 5.2: Maintain onsite structures and paving
Strategy: Retaining existing structures and paving saves on demolition, hauling and disposal costs and reduces costs by not having to build new structures. Repair or reuse existing pavement and structures. - Credit 5.3: Design for adaptability and disassembly
Strategy: Project sites generate revenue from the sale of reusable or recyclable products. Purchase materials that can be broken down and reused rather than thrown away. - Credit 5.4: Reuse salvaged materials and plants
Strategy: Reusing plants and salvaged materials saves money and limits disturbance of the site. - Credit 5.5: Use recycled content materials
Strategy: Eliminate the unhealthy consequences of material extraction. Specify plastic lumber or crushed concrete instead of aggregate bases, new asphalt with recycled asphalt aggregate and high recycled content steel. - Credit 5.6: Use regional materials
Strategy: Identify sources of regional materials. This will save on transportation costs and contributes to the local economy. - Credit 5.7: Support responsible extraction of raw materials
Strategy: Reduce negative impacts on local ecosystems. Support responsible mining and extraction. Support fair labor and fair trade practices. Write standards into project specs that support the goal of the credit. - Credit 5.8: Support transparency and safer chemistry
Strategy: Support green chemistry and safer chemicals. Use materials without finishes or other chemical additives wherever possible. Have an open dialogue with suppliers. - Credit 5.9: Support sustainability in materials manufacturing
Strategy: Support manufacturing practices that reduce energy consumption and use water efficiently. - Credit 5.10: Support sustainability in plant production
Strategy: Purchase from nurseries that reduce resource consumption and minimize waste generation. Ban invasive plants. Specify growers that use sustainable practices.
Section 6: Site Design: Human Health and Well-Being
Any access to nature, whether in a park or natural area, or simply viewing green space during daily life, positively affects mental health and facilitates social connection. These effects are essential to healthy human habitat and extend to include positive physical health outcomes. This section promotes outdoor opportunities for physical activity, restorative and aesthetic experiences, and social interaction. It also encourages projects to address social equity in their design and development choices. The intent is to build stronger communities and create or renew a sense of environmental stewardship.
Credits
- Credit 6.1: Protect and maintain cultural and historic places
Strategy: Promoting and maintaining historic and cultural sites result in economic benefits such as: increased employment, property values and tourism. Promotion also fosters respect for history and culture and contributes to community identity. Where applicable, identify cultural or historic landscapes to protect. - Credit 6.2: Provide optimum site accessibility, safety and wayfinding
Strategy: Businesses benefit from safe, secure, accessible environments. Adopt universal design practices for accessibility. - Credit 6.3: Promote equitable site use
Strategy: Create economic activities for site development that support resilient neighborhoods. Demonstrate a strategy that allows the site to be shared equally by a wide variety of user groups. - Credit 6.4: Support mental restoration
Strategy: Provide connections to nature and restorative experiences. Support spaces that reduce anxiety, stress and harmful noise. Promote relaxation to reduce mental fatigue. Identify restorative spaces and meet with users and stakeholders to identify specific needs. - Credit 6.5: Support physical activity
Strategy: Physical activity benefits everyone because it leads to healthier individuals, families and communities and healthier minds and bodies make for happier people, families and communities. Perform a walkability audit of the site pedestrian system. Design meandering pathways and ramps to promote physical fitness. - Credit 6.6: Support social connection
Strategy: Studies show that elderly people live longer, happier lives and recover from illness more quickly when they have healthy social lives. Provide a variety of social themed spaces that address needs of wide range of user groups. - Credit 6.7: Provide onsite food production
Strategy: Community gardening helps people lead healthier lifestyles, reduces family food budgets, provides a source of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and herbs, provides exercise, social connections and education. Identify contaminated soils on site. Determine best locations for food production. Use organic gardening methods and types of gardens (for example: greenhouses, raised beds or container gardens). - Credit 6.8: Reduce light pollution
Strategy: Light pollution disrupts healthy sleep patterns and nocturnal animal behavior. Excessive building lighting leads to the death of thousands of migratory birds. Collaborate with a lighting engineer to address requirements of this credit. - Credit 6.9: Encourage fuel efficient and multi-modal transportation
Strategy: Reduce energy consumption and associated costs of fuel, upkeep, etc. Fuel efficient electric, hybrid vehicles have a much smaller carbon footprint. Walking and commuting by bicycle reap physical fitness benefits. Use of busses, trains and other forms of mass transit save millions in fuel costs and provide a respite from the daily commute by car. Provide alternative fueling stations for electric and hybrid vehicles and preferred parking for fuel efficient vehicles. - Credit 6.10: Minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Strategy: Minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. - Credit 6.11: Support local economy
Strategy: Site development should contribute to the local economy, providing jobs. Work with the community to identify and develop options for sharing the economic and social benefits of the site. Use local materials and hire local workforce.
Section 7: Construction
Sustainable construction practices start with ensuring that contractors are aware of sustainability goals set in the initial design phase. Then, proper actions can be taken through the construction phase. This section encourages projects to protect air quality through low-emitting equipment, strive for a net-zero waste site, ensure healthy vegetation through soil restoration strategies, and protect receiving waters from polluted runoff and sedimentation.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 7.1: Communicate and verify sustainable construction practices
Strategy: The sustainable performance of a site is directly proportional to the proper implementation of sustainable construction practices and accountability of each team member in the integrative design team. The site contractor should designate a staff person to be a liaison with the integrated design team on SITES matters. - Prerequisite 7.2: Control and retain construction pollutants
Strategy: Develop a plan to integrate temporary excess and surplus controls with permanent rainwater management elements. - Prerequisite 7.3: Restore soils disturbed during construction
Strategy: Support regenerative systems by restoring soil heath (which is critical to plant growth), good soil drainage, wildlife habitats and proper functioning ecosystems. This means less costs to repair or replace soils and plants. See detailed strategies in the SITES Reference Guide such as: limit disturbance during construction and use organic materials and compost from the site to amend soils.
Credits
- Credit 7.4: Restore soils disturbed by previous development
Strategy: Support regenerative systems by restoring soil heath (which is critical to plant growth), good soil drainage, wildlife habitats and proper functioning ecosystems. This means less costs to repair or replace soils and plants. See detailed strategies in the SITES Reference Guide such as: limit disturbance during construction and use organic materials and compost from the site to amend soils. - Credit 7.5: Divert construction and demolition materials from disposal
Strategy: Keep construction and demolition materials out of landfills and save money by reusing these materials on site. Reuse existing materials on site or recycle them. Develop a construction waste management plan. - Credit 7.6: Divert reusable vegetation, rocks and soil from disposal
Strategy: Keep construction and demolition materials out of landfills and save money by reusing these materials on site. Reuse existing materials on site or recycle them. Develop a construction waste management plan. - Credit 7.7: Protect air quality during construction
Strategy: Reduce harmful emissions and health problems associated with air pollution by using low polluting equipment and limiting construction vehicle idling. Select contractors who are committed to reducing diesel emissions and air pollution.
Section 8: Operations and Maintenance
To produce a design and to meet performance goals that will conserve resources and reduce pollution and waste throughout the life of the project, work with a maintenance professional during the design phase. This section promotes maintenance strategies that maximize the site’s long-term potential in providing ecosystem services. Strategies include reducing material disposal, ensuring long-term health of soil and vegetation, reducing pollution, conserving energy, and encouraging the use of renewable energy.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisite 8.1: Plan for sustainable site maintenance
Strategy: Use a systems thinking approach that reflects and sustains ecosystem services and avoids costly problems later by developing a clear, achievable long term maintenance plan during design and construction of the project. Collaborate with the integrated design team to develop a site maintenance plan to ensure long term sustainability. - Prerequisite 8.2: Provide for storage and collection of recyclables
Strategy: Recycling reduces costs of waste disposal in landfills. Communication of the importance of recycling in public places encourages people to recycle at home. Conduct a waste stream study and develop a plan for recycling during construction and after.
Credits
- Credit 8.3: Recycle organic matter
Strategy: Recycling organic matter into compost saves money and disposal costs. Compost builds healthy soils which reduce need for fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. Collect organic material generated on site and compost it for use in maintenance on site. - Credit 8.4: Minimize pesticide and fertilizer use
Strategy: Keep plants and soil healthy and reduce the use of toxic chemicals and pesticides. Develop integrated pest management plan and avoid planting too many of one species. - Credit 8.5: Reduce outdoor energy consumption
Strategy: Use energy efficient lighting and outdoor equipment to reduce electricity consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions. Reduce energy use of lighting, equipment, etc. - Credit 8.6: Use renewable sources for landscape electricity needs
Strategy: Strive to use onsite renewable production of energy. Purchase electricity generated by green power to reduce greenhouse gases and save energy costs in the long run. Look at potential for using renewable energy (solar or geothermal) onsite or purchase green power. - Credit 8.7: Protect air quality during landscape maintenance
Strategy: Lawn mowers and small engine equipment emit significant amounts of harmful gases. Reduce these gases to improve breathing health and associated healthcare costs.
Section 9: Education and Performance Monitoring
This section recognizes projects for efforts made to inform and educate the public about the project goals and sustainable practices implemented in site design, construction, and maintenance. It also creates an incentive to monitor, document, and report the performance of the site over time in order to influence and improve the body of knowledge in site sustainability.
Credits
- Credit 9.1: Promote sustainability awareness and education
Strategy: Display and practice responsible and efficient ways of living sustainably to help people see the environmental and social benefits of sustainability. Deliver one focused, compelling message with graphic aids. - Credit 9.2: Develop and communicate a case study
Strategy: Give the public an in-depth look into a SITES project by providing the project summary, details, sustainable features and lessons learned to help educate and inspire people about the benefits of SITES. Take before and after photos and communicate case study needs to the entire integrated design team. - Credit 9.3: Plan to monitor and report site performance
Strategy: Make performance data available for research and evaluation of performance. Inform team that monitoring is a goal of the project, set aside funding and collaborate with researches and users of the performance monitoring.
Section 10: Innovation or Exemplary Performance
This section encourages creativity and innovation in fulfilling prerequisite and credit requirements. It awards bonus points to projects that demonstrate exemplary performance above and beyond the targets established by one or more of the credits. SITES also supports innovation by awarding extra points to projects that develop or pursue sustainable practices or meet benchmarks for sustainable performance that are not currently addressed in the SITES v2 Rating System.
Credits
- Credit 10.1:Innovation or exemplary performance
Strategy: Explore and demonstrate better ways of living and building sustainably by demonstrating how to exceed SITES performance credits for elements such as soil, water, human health and well-being.
