Integration of Sustainable Development Principles into a Community Park

Characteristics of six operating hot spring recreational facilities were reviewed to identify opportunities for integrating a range of sustainable design and operation approaches into a community park. Potential operating cost savings were evaluated for a conceptual landscape project, bathhouse project, and swimming pool project that reduced the use of electricity, natural gas, water, the discharge of water, and solid waste generation. The projects showed a combined cost savings of approximately $40,000 per year by adopting passive solar design, energy efficient lighting, native vegetation, water efficient fixtures, and a natural swimming pool. The greatest potential operating cost reductions were observed for cutbacks in the use of swimming pool water and reductions in natural gas needed for building and swimming pool heating.

Green Animal Shelter Design for the Stokes County Humane Society of North Carolina

The Stokes County Humane Society has the opportunity to implement sustainable design concepts and demonstrate long-term fiscal savings in the design of an animal shelter for Stokes County, North Carolina. The proposed renovated structure takes advantage of passive design strategies that convert a cold, steel structure into one with warmth, light, and functionality. Proposed design techniques include an interior courtyard, geothermal heating and cooling, solar panels, a green roof, rainwater harvesting, sustainable landscaping, and clever materials selection. A cost analysis identifies capital costs and long term operational costs for both traditional and sustainable construction techniques. The results are capital costs of a sustainable design that are comparable to a traditional build, with long-term operational cost savings and generated revenue.

Integration of Building into Nature for the Valles Caldera National Preserve Visitor Center

Valles Caldera National Preserve, located in northern New Mexico, has an opportunity to implement sustainable design concepts while demonstrating long-term financial sustainability in the design of its new visitor center. This building can be designed to use natural systems to provide energy and water, and to blend in with the setting‰Ûªs unique historical and natural landscape. Structures can be integrated into nature by incorporating common techniques, features, and materials of a particular period, area, or people. This analysis identified capital costs for both traditional and sustainable construction techniques, as well as long-term operational costs. The results demonstrate that capital costs of sustainable design that is integrated into the landscape can be comparable to conventional costs and provide long-term operational costs savings.

Construction of a Sustainable City Park in Ruddle, WV: A Model for Sustainable Park Design in Humid Climates

Three sustainable projects were studied under a sustainable park model for humid climates to determine where their costs lie in terms of installation, maintenance or both. These projects included the use of solar lighting to replace every configuration of conventional lighting, inclusion of a water garden/bog filter and Riparian Buffer System for the purposes of filtering sediments and nutrients out of runoff to prevent contaminated runoff from reaching the river that was adjacent to the park model location and construction of a LEED-inspired building to serve as the concession stand/restrooms building. The aggregate cost savings of instituting all three projects over ten years was $74,120 and the entire project paid itself off in approximately four years.

Sustainable materials: The business case for green chemistry design practices

Product manufacturers face increasing environmental and human health regulations with certain regulations targeting specific chemicals of concern that must be removed from the supply chain. This study examines a green chemistry approach to choosing between flame retardant alternatives in electronic products during the design phase of product development. An aggregated score based on five criteria was generated for each flame retardant. To address subjectivity and cognitive bias concerns probabilistic sensitivity analysis was applied to the weighting factors used to generate the scores to examine the reliability of the results. The highest scoring flame retardants based on the comprehensive green chemistry approach were different from the flame retardants chosen using cost as the primary selection criteria.

The Practicality of Sustainable Development in Construction

The implementation of sustainable construction practices aims to reduce the environmental impact of development without hindering the economic or social growth of society and industry. An analysis of sustainable construction was conducted to understand the viability, environmental and economic impacts of sustainable building practices. The research indicates sustainable construction offers substantial economic and environmental advantages. However, the construction industry has yet to universally adopt sustainable practices. The solutions I have determined to help foster the adoption of sustainable construction include enhanced planning and design, implementing waste management, educating industry professionals and increasing public awareness about the benefits. The research and recommendations in this project prove the hypothesis and offer solutions that, when implemented will benefit society.

Improving urban park design: A comparative and analytical study addressing resources available and components necessary to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of urban parks

Urban parks have long been valued for the environmental, social, and economic benefits they provide. Increasingly, parks are also being recognized as features important for sustainable city design. This Capstone Project will identify, compare, analyze, and discuss means for designing sustainable urban parks. Recommendations for designing sustainable urban parks, based on project results, include: 1) ensure park features will support high levels of human activity; 2) use gravel to construct park trails; 3) purchase playground structures made of recycled materials; 4) plant a high number of perennials in flowerbeds and other vegetated areas; 5) plant climate-appropriate plants in vegetated areas; 6) ensure parks have high levels of plant diversity; and 7) develop future studies further exploring sustainable park design.