Senga's Blog
Eco-chic Outdoor Living & Exterior Design
Feb. 20/11 - The Brook a Leeds Platinum Building!
Senga Landsape Architecuture is proud to be part of the one of Canada's first LEED Plantinum buildings. LEED stands for 'Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.' It is a system to categorise the level of environmentally sustainable construction in sustainable buildings and site design and is the standard for green building design for North America.
In short many developers are adopting the principal of building sites that uses less energy and recyclable materials. In the case of 'The Brook' the developer utilized geothermal power which is taking heat from the earth and using it to heat the building as opposed to using natural gas or hydro which Working in conjunction with Gerry Sportak, principal Array Architecture we developed a landscape that is highly drought tolerant and uses very little water. An underground drip irrigation system which draws upon non-potable water (no city or drinking water is used) further reduces the need for water consumption.
The architectural like planting palette of ornamental grasses, Aspens and Black-Eyed Susans also provides habitat and a food source for wildlife. Permeable paving in patios and walkways allows for water infiltration into the ground water table as opposed to running off and draining into storm systems.
