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What's Going on Outside Your Walls, and How Does This Impact CO2e?

Proposal Status
Ready for Committee Review
Username
Jodi Smits Anderson
Proposer First Name
Jodi
Proposer Email
jsmitsanderson@eypae.com
Proposer Last Name
Smits Anderson
Proposer Phone
(518) 229-3215
Proposer Job Title
Managing Principal, Albany
Proposed Session Description
The awareness of embodied carbon is growing, including recognition of the potential for sequestering CO2e in mass timber applications, and how to be not only material-savvy in design, but how to reduce material layers. Have we come to understand building siting and the impacts of landscape architecture on our goals? In this session, we will go beyond the building walls, floor, and roof to understand the impacts of our surroundings. Additionally, the positive impacts that can be created when working with all that Nature has to offer, intelligent landscaping materials and practices, and in support of community-wide systems and goals. Finally, we will introduce the power in including Landscape Design within your firm.
Why is this session important?
We must get beyond plug n' play energy tech to understanding full-systems and full-systems interactions. Landscape design is pivotal in water management, community building, cultural experiences, and co2 reductions.

Comments

Leah McGovern Mon, 05/02/2022 - 10:30 am

Round 1: YES. This topic provides diversity from the general "project" presentation proposals that talk about general building/integrated design methods for reducing carbon emissions. Though there is a note that this proposal may be more relevant for Boston, I'm not certain that's the case. New York is a big state, there is space outside of the City itself that would want to take into account landscape planning for their EE projects.

Tristan Grant Wed, 05/04/2022 - 6:08 pm

Yes/Maybe - I think this sounds really cool. I question the emphasis on "siting" in NYC, becuase typically projects are so site constrained, theres limited flexibility for orientation, massing, and selecting an optimal site. I think the landscape design focus is very applicable though, in a city that is so starved for green space. I think theres a lot of potential if we can shift the focus a bit from site selection towards optimization of on-site resources, even in a space constrained urban context like nyc. The natural landscapes ability to reduce energy use, improve building performance, etc. is hard to quantify, but we know its there, i'd be interested to learn more.

Ben Sachs-Hamilton Mon, 05/09/2022 - 11:59 am

Round 1 Discussion:Not a lot of overlap with other topics (good), should address how to apply in NYC with few options for site selection. How can we implement these ideas within the constraints of NYC?

Aidan Mayer Mon, 05/30/2022 - 5:10 pm

Round 2: Yes, absolutely! I strongly recommend including this session for many different reasons. Firstly, Jodi and Jessica, whom I met with, spoke with an inspiring devotion to the topic. From my point of view, I believe that the two of them, and whoever else they wish to include in the session, will provide a truly impactful and meaningful discussion that will be remembered.I approached our chat seeking to see if they were considering the "gaps" that were outlined in the RQP and they were able to answer them thoroughly. They have a goal to show how and why landscape architecture is a much-needed discussion when we tackle sustainable building, and I think that it will be extremely beneficial at this conference.There was concern that their topic would not fit the typology of NYC, however that is not the case. NYC will always need additional green space, and there are plenty of case studies that prove this. Jodi has a connection at the Javits Center that she said could potentially be brought in to speak to their rooftop garden and how it helped their building.All-in-all this will be a wonderful addition to the conference, and I would be more than happy to help be apart of the curation process. 

Diversity and Inclusiveness
In the economics of Biophilia, but Terrapin Bright Green, they reveal data that inclusion of green spaces around affordable housing reduces domestic disturbance calls by 25%. Landscape Architecture is an untapped superpower in creating communities, supporting culture, and improving equity of space/place/lighting/activity/health.
Learning Objectives
1) Learn the basic aspects of SITES, and of Well related to outdoor spaces
2) Identify the relationship and contractual aspects that may come up in looking beyond the walls
3) Cite the CO2e and at least three other impacts of moving soil and disturbing existing flora
4) Cite 3-5 ways exterior landscape design can reduce energy use.
Has this session been presented before?
No
Additional Comments
Landscape Design may not be a focus point of the NYC conference, and we understand this. We encourage NESEA to indicate if this would be better suited to Building Energy Boston in 2023. Additionally, our storytelling in this session will reference how EYP determined that Landscape Architecture should be brought in-house to bridge the onerous existing gap in practice, and in designing appropriately for communities and Natural systems.
Session Format
Interview or structured conversation among panelists
Lightning Round (several brief idea pitches followed by discussion)

Strongest Content Connection - NYC 2022

Comments about your speaker roster
I can likely produce videos for Jessica and Shivanthi, but need permissions...
Reviewer 1
Grant, Tristan
Reviewer 2
Mayer, Aidan
Proposal #
126
Committee Decision
Being Considered