DIVE
This DIVE section takes a look at the methods for achieving or earning points for SITES prerequisites and credits at the Nature Lab project site.
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 | Take Away
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
Method: Ensure that there are no prime farmland or any farmland soils on the Nature Lab site, nor are any farmland or prime farmland soils mined for use.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 1.2: Protect floodplain functions.
Method: Locate the project on a site that does not contain any land within a 100-year floodplain as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Use the map to place the project in an area outside of the boundary of the one hundred and 500 year floodplains.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 1.3: Conserve aquatic ecosystems.
Method: Ensure that the project site contains no aquatic ecosystems (such as wetlands, deepwater habitats, etc.) as classified in accordance with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory map. Comply with Case 1: Sites without aquatic ecosystems. In the SITES v2 Rating System, cases indicate how projects with particular pre-existing conditions should document compliance. Case 1 suggests that the project be located on a site that does not contain any aquatic ecosystems, including isolated wetlands.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 1.4: Conserve habitats for threatened and endangered species.
Method: Conduct a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) assessment to determine whether there are threatened or endangered species on the site.
Status: Achievable
Credits
- Credit 1.5: Redevelop degraded sites
Method: Comply with Case 1: Previously developed sites. In the SITES v2 Rating System, cases indicate how projects with particular pre-existing conditions should document compliance. Case 1 suggests that the project be built on a previously developed site.
Status: Applicable - Credit 1.6: Locate projects within existing developed areas
Method: Confirm the project site as an infill site within 500 feet of existing publicly provided water and sewage infrastructure. In addition, ensure at least one site entrance is in proximity to at least seven publicly available basic services.
Status: Applicable - Credit 1.7: Connect to multi-modal transit networks
Method: Comply with Case 1: Pedestrian and bicycle network. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests that the project be located in an area connected to pedestrian and bicycle networks.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Follow the following requirements: form an integrated design team consisting of the owner, design and construction professionals, professionals with expertise in soils, vegetation and hydrology, develop a collaborative communication process, identify project sustainability principles and performance goals, incorporate the sustainability principles and performance goals into a program plan, identify stakeholders and site user groups, plan for construction oversight and develop a strategy for preparing a site maintenance plan.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 2.2: Conduct a pre-design site assessment
Method: Provide narration, mapping and assessment of existing and referenced site conditions relative to various natural systems, water, soils, vegetation, energy, materials and human use of the site. Use information to make an analysis of the site to determine opportunities and constraints for developing a program plan used to plan and design the site.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 2.3: Designate and communicate Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones
Method: Use the pre-design site assessment that was developed in Prerequisite 2.2, to ensure no Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones are identified within the Nature Lab project boundary.
Status: Achievable
Credit
- Credit 2.4: Engage users and stakeholders
Method: Welcome community and project partners, including Phipps staff members early in the design process. Community partners, government officials, university faculty members and students should participate. Set up a variety of forums to gather user and stakeholder goals, concerns and feedback. Communicate final design to stakeholders and users as well as the greater community though a variety of on-site displays, online information, videos and blogs and through speaking engagements and presentations.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Retain the precipitation volume for the sixtieth percentile precipitation event (as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under Section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act) through onsite infiltration, evapotranspiration and reuse.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 3.2: Reduce water for landscape irrigation
Method: Reduce or eliminate the use of potable water, natural surface water (e.g., lakes, streams) and groundwater withdrawals for landscape irrigation (beyond the establishment period). Use the United States EPA WaterSense Water Budget Tool to identify the baseline case and water savings. Reduce water usage by at least 50% from the baseline case beyond the establishment period.
Status: Achievable
Credits
- Credit 3.3: Manage precipitation beyond baseline
Method: Use onsite infiltration, evapotranspiration and harvest use, retain or treat the maximum precipitation volume possible beyond the required baseline precipitation volume of the sixtieth percentile event.
Status: Applicable - Credit 3.4: Reduce outdoor water use
Method: Comply with Option 3: Reduce outdoor water use. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 3 suggests eliminating outdoor water use for long-term landscape irrigation. Phipps chose to use captured rainwater for temporary irrigation during the establishment period to ensure that 100% of the annual makeup water for the lagoon water feature comes from rainwater (a non-potable water source). Maintenance requirements for the lagoon are listed in the maintenance plan. The required metering for potable and non-potable water are provided enabling the tracking of water usage. Monitoring software on the non-potable water system provides real-time evaluation of water levels in each of the non-potable water storage tanks.
Status: Applicable - Credit 3.5: Design functional rainwater features as amenities
Method: Ensure site precipitation is treated as an amenity in the way it is received, conveyed and managed on site for 100% of rainwater features. Rainwater features are defined as using precipitation for their sole source of water and function as rainwater management elements (e.g., bioswales, raingardens or vegetated roofs). The features should be designed to be visually and physically accessible to site users from proposed high-use areas of the site.
Status: Applicable - Credit 3.6: Restore aquatic ecosystems
Method: Restore aquatic ecosystems, riparian buffers, wetlands or shoreline buffers for protection or restoration.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Create a soil management plan and accompanying soil management plan worksheet prior to construction. Indicated locations of existing healthy soils onsite and any Vegetation and Soil Protection Zones (there are none). Specify how construction activities are designed to minimize soil disturbance. Identify disturbed soils that were re-vegetated. Describe the project as a brownfield consisting of severely disturbed soils devoid of vegetation. Restore soil profiles for the various planting zones are imported and placed at specific depths to support various native plant communities throughout the site as shown on construction drawings. Communicate the soil management plan to contractors in the project construction drawings and specifications. Ensure imported or manufactured soils used on the project are not mined from greenfield sites, prime farmland, unique farmland or farmland of statewide or local importance.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 4.2: Control and manage invasive plants
Method: Ensure only plant species that are not currently listed as invasive on federal or qualifying regional lists are used. Remove complete invasive plant and root systems during site preparation phase of construction. Separate invasive plants removed from construction soils and sent them to a vegetative waste dumpster that is transported off-site for composting. Describe all site conditions and all plants brought to the site on the vegetation worksheet to ensure no invasive plants are introduced.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 4.3: Use appropriate plants
Method: Ensure species for use in planting design are deemed to be suitable for site conditions, climate and design intent based on planting design documents and completed vegetation worksheet.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 4.4: Conserve healthy soils and appropriate vegetation
Method: Ensure there are healthy soils or appropriate vegetation at the project site.
Status: Applicable
Credits
- Credit 4.5: Conserve special status vegetation
Method: Ensure the special status vegetation on the site is protected. There are existing trees on the Nature Lab site that were planted under the Center for Sustainable Landscapes project. These existing trees could be considered to be special status vegetation.
Status: Applicable - Credit 4.6: Conserve and use native plants
Method: There were no existing native plants to conserve on the Nature Lab site.
Status: Not Applicable - Credit 4.7: Conserve and restore native plant communities
Method: There were no existing native plant communities on the Nature Lab site.
Status: Not Applicable - Credit 4.8: Optimize biomass
Method: There was no existing biomass density index (BDI) and planned site BDI at the Nature Lab site.
Status: Not Applicable - Credit 4.9: Reduce urban heat island effects
Method: Use the following formula to reduce urban heat island effects for site paving and structures: (area of non-roof measures divided by 0.5) + (area of high reflectance roof divided by 0.75) + (area of vegetated roof divided by 0.5). The result must be greater than or equal to the total site paving area and total roof area.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 4.10: Use vegetation to minimize building energy use
Method: Comply with Option 1: Reduce energy use. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests using vegetation or vegetated structures to reduce total annual building energy use for heating and cooling.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 4.11: Reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire
Method: The Nature Lab project site is not in a fire-prone zone.
Status: Not Applicable
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
Method: Ensure there are no wood species used on the project that are listed by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as threatened with extinction nor listed by CITES as requiring trade controls in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Ensure the wood species are also not on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List of Threatened Species.”
Status: Achievable
Credits
- Credit 5.2: Maintain on-site structures and paving
Method: Conserve resources and reduce waste by maintaining existing structures and paving in their existing form.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.3: Design for adaptability and disassembly
Method: Use material assemblies, products or product components that are designed for disassembly and facilitate reuse for at least 30 – 60% of total materials cost, excluding plants, rocks and soils.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.4: Reuse salvaged materials and plants
Method: Conserve resources and avoid landfilling useful materials by reusing salvaged materials and appropriate plants.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.5: Use recycled content materials
Method: Identify qualifying site materials with the associated percentage of recycled content by taking the total recycled materials cost (excluding plants and soil) and dividing it by the total material cost less ineligible products and salvaged materials cost.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.6: Use regional materials
Method: Use regional materials to reduce energy use for transportation and increase demand for regional materials, plants and soils.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.7: Support responsible extraction of raw materials
Method: Comply with Option 1: Advocate for sustainable extraction of raw materials. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit materials. Option 1 suggests that a letter be submitted to all raw materials suppliers and manufacturers asking them to keep track and disclose sustainable extraction practices.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.8: Support transparency and safer chemistry
Method: Comply with Option 1: Advocate for transparency and safer chemistry. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests that a letter be submitted to all manufacturers for all materials specified in the product categories asking them to develop and disclose chemical inventories or conduct chemical hazard assessments according to criteria outlined in Options 2 or 3.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.9: Support sustainability in materials manufacturing
Method: Comply with Option 1: Advocate for sustainable materials manufacturing. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests that a letter be submitted to all materials manufacturers asking them to perform, track and disclose sustainable practices.
Status: Potentially Applicable - Credit 5.10: Support sustainability in plant production
Method: Comply with Option 3: Support producers that achieve significant improvements in sustainable practices. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 3 suggests that teams obtain 80% of purchased plants, sod and seed from businesses that achieved at least six of the following ten sustainable practices: reduce use of potable water, reduce runoff from irrigation, choose sustainable soil amendments, recycle organic matter, reduce waste, use IPM, prevent use and distribution of invasive species, reduce energy consumption, use renewable energy sources and provide safe and fair working conditions.
Status: Potentially Applicable
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
Method: Comply with Option 2: Historic or cultural landscapes. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 2 suggests identifying and protecting historically significant cultural landscapes that are included, or are eligible for inclusion in a local historic register, a state historic register or the United States National Register of Historic Places. Phipps has both historic buildings and cultural landscapes. Phipps protects and maintains the historic glasshouse and cultural landscapes ensuring that these buildings and landscapes are listed on local, state and federal historic registers.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.2: Provide optimum site accessibility, safety and wayfinding
Method: Ensure that the project includes the following elements: accessibility (follow requirements and standards of Americans with Disabilities Act), safety (improve actual and perceived safety of site users by providing the following components: clear, defined spaces and access control, natural surveillance with adequate lighting levels, natural surveillance at entrances and walkways and clear visibility and good sight lines) and wayfinding (create an environment that makes it easy and intuitive for users to orient themselves and navigate from place to place by providing the following components: clear entrances and gateways, viewpoints and sight lines, landmarks, hierarchy of pedestrian and vehicular circulation and maps and brochures).
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.3: Promote equitable site use
Method: Achieve the following SITES credits: support mental restoration, support physical activity, support social connection and promote sustainability awareness and education. Provide free public access to four specific, equitable site elements (can include a combination of amenities, activities, facilities, programs or events) in the first three years of operation.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.4: Support mental restoration
Method: Provide accessible, quiet outdoor spaces that include: seating for 5% of total site users, visual and physical access to vegetation, elements that reduce noise and mitigate negative distractions and elements that address microclimate and other site-specific conditions (e.g., sun, shade and wind).
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.5: Support physical activity
Method: Work to improve human health by providing onsite opportunities that encourage outdoor physical activity. Estimate the total number of site users at peak times and develop and implement a functional plan that encourages outdoor physical activity for the users by providing the following features: a physical activity program (yoga classes) and an onsite trail that is a minimum of one mile in length and is closed loop. The trail also connects to an off-site multi-use trail system through Schenley Park that is several miles in length.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.6: Support social connection
Method: Provide outdoor spaces to encourage social connection, including: seating for a minimum of 10% of total site users that accommodate a variety of group sizes, elements that address microclimate and other site-specific conditions (e.g., sun, shade and wind), amenities, services or activity spaces (e.g., food concessions, picnic or dining areas, playgrounds and farmers’ markets).
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.7: Provide on-site food production
Method: Plant raised-bed gardens.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.8: Reduce light pollution
Method: There is no light pollution at the Nature Lab project site.
Status: Not Applicable - Credit 6.9: Encourage fuel efficient and multi-modal transportation
Method: Include preferred parking for vehicles that have reduced emissions and high fuel efficiency for 3% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site, preferred parking for vanpools and carpools for 3% of the total vehicle parking capacity and electric recharge stations or alternative fuel stations.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.10: Minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Method: Comply with Option 2: Prohibit smoking on site. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 2 suggests developing and implementing a smoke-free policy to prohibit smoking within the entire site.
Status: Applicable - Credit 6.11: Support local economy
Method: Include hiring a local workforce and supporting local businesses during the construction phase, commit to employing no fewer than 75% of workers at or above a living wage ($27.95 per hour in 2011) during construction of the site and purchasing materials and construction services equal to 10% or more of the construction budget from locally owned and operated business. This information is provided in documentation from the contractor, confirming that the amount of money spent on materials and construction services is over 80% of the project’s construction cost.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Designate an integrated design team member, other than the contractor, who is responsible for verifying the site is built per the construction specifications and drawings. Hold a meeting that includes at least one person from each discipline from the integrated design team to review construction specifications and drawings that conveyed the project’s sustainability principles and performance goals and to review the steps needed to achieve all prerequisites and pursued credits. Create a SITES Punchlist that assigns responsibility for each prerequisite and desired credit to a member of the integrated design team.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 7.2: Control and retain construction pollutants
Method: Create and implement an erosion and sedimentation control plan (ESC) and a rainwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) for all construction activities associated with the project. The SWPPP and ESC should conform to erosion and sedimentation requirements of the United States EPA Construction General Permit.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 7.3: Restore soils disturbed during construction
Method: Document soil management plan and identify that no existing, naturally occurring referenced soils are on the site.
Status: Achievable
Credits
- Credit 7.4: Restore soils disturbed by previous development
Method: Determine what percent of total site area will be re-vegetated using a point value table.
Status: Applicable - Credit 7.5: Divert construction and demolition materials from disposal
Method: Divert materials from disposal by recycling, salvaging or reusing structural materials (e.g., bricks, steel or wood) and road and infrastructure materials (e.g., pavement or drainage structures).
Status: Applicable - Credit 7.6: Divert reusable vegetation, rocks and soil from disposal
Method: Support a net-zero waste site by diverting from disposal vegetation, mineral and rock waste, and soils generated during construction.
Status: Applicable - Credit 7.7: Protect air quality during construction
Method: Establish a policy to reduce diesel engines used onsite during construction. Limit unnecessary idling to no more than five minutes in any sixty minute period. Implemented a preventative maintenance plan for all equipment according to engine manufacturer specifications. Use no construction equipment with Tier 0 engines.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Prepare a site maintenance plan with the integrated design team, explain short-term risks and the long-term strategic plan to achieve sustainable maintenance goals and ensure the maintenance contractor or site manager commits to educating maintenance personnel on the goals and implementation of the site maintenance plan.
Status: Not Applicable - Prerequisite 8.2: Provide for storage and collection of recyclables
Method: Conduct a waste stream study to estimate the amount of recyclable materials generated in outdoor areas (e.g., paper, glass, plastics and metals), co-locate collection containers for recyclables next to all trash receptacles and ensure that service is provided for collection of recyclable materials.
Status: Achievable - Prerequisite 8.3: Recycle organic matter
Method: Conduct a waste stream study that estimates the amount of vegetation trimmings and food waste that will be generated.
Status: Applicable
Credits
- Credit 8.4: Minimize pesticide and fertilizer use
Method: Comply with Option 2: Best management practices for plant health care. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 2 suggests that all requirements for Option 1: Plant health care plan are followed. Incorporate additional policy options of: banning all weed and feed type fertilizers, enforcing buffer zones, developing written safety and handling regulations, banning pesticides for cosmetic purposes, banning use of pre-emergent herbicides, using organic slow release fertilizers and banning fertilizer use in rainy seasons.
Status: Applicable - Credit 8.5: Reduce outdoor energy consumption
Method: Select outdoor lighting and other site equipment (e.g., aerators, ceiling fans, water pumps and transformers) to achieve an annual energy reduction from the estimated baseline energy use.
Status: Applicable - Credit 8.6: Use renewable sources for landscape electricity needs
Method: Comply with Option 1: Onsite renewable production. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests using onsite renewable energy sources to generate outdoor site electricity for at least 100% of annual outdoor site electricity.
Status: Applicable - Credit 8.7: Protect air quality during landscape maintenance
Method: Comply with Option 1: Scheduled maintenance. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 1 suggests planning for the use of powered maintenance equipment only during hours when the site is closed for use or during periods when the lowest percentage of site users are potentially exposed to landscape maintenance emissions.
Status: Applicable
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
Method: Comply with Option 2: Additional education. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 2 suggests that Option 1: Educational and interpretive elements is completed (provide a maximum of three educational or interpretive elements that draw attention to and explain sustainable features or processes of the site design, construction, operations or maintenance). Under Option 2, the following should be added: interpretive signage, informational brochures and educational programming.
Status: Applicable - Credit 9.2: Develop and communicate a case study
Method: Use the SITES project to clearly and effectively illustrate the approaches, strategies and benefits of implementing sustainability at the site scale.
Status: Credit not pursued - Credit 9.3: Plan to monitor and report site performance
Method: Develop a plan or policy to demonstrate the ongoing performance monitoring and reporting of at least three SITES prerequisites or credits.
Status: Credit not pursued
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
Method: Comply with Option 2: Innovation outside the SITES v2 Rating System. In the SITES v2 Rating System, options allow project teams to choose actions to satisfy credit requirements. Option 2 suggests that innovative site practices and performance benefits are applied and documented in areas not specifically addressed by the SITES v2 Rating System.
Status: In process of exploring relation to Nature Lab site
Take Away
At just over 2000 square feet, the Nature Lab site meets the minimum requirements of site size for certification. But, don’t let the small size fool you. There are many credits that would apply to the small site, such as rainwater resources, soil and vegetation, human health and well-being and maintenance and operation. It is crucial that the prerequisite documentation for an integrated design process be provided. In addition, plans and worksheets for soil management, site maintenance, native plantings, materials and construction punch list would need to be prepared. If certification is not pursued, then there are plenty of opportunities to interpret the many features of the Nature Lab Site.
