2009 ILCA Gold Award
Sustainable Landscape Construction

This project turned out to be a lot more challenging than originally projected. When approached by the homeowner who wanted a cottage garden for their English Tudor house on an impossible budget that also had to be 'green', our first thought was no, but then the idea of creating a sustainable landscape was introduced. However, the question of 'what is a sustainable landscape' kept intruding. This led us to the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Unfortunately, its shortcomings became evident from the start. We decided to write our own program loosely based on SSI; but instead of guidelines and benchmarks to judge new construction, we used prerequisites and credits to retrofit an existing landscape.

It seemed that for every step we took, we added two more steps to the journey; 'remove all invasive species' is a sustainable practice, but which list do you use? 'Provide habitat' is necessary, but to what extent? Which plant combination should you use in order to attract the most birds? How far do you go when renovating the soil? It all had to be defined and documented for us to feel confident enough to say this was a Sustainable Landscape.

Once that was done the fun began. Our mission statement was: "Create a healthy, regenerative eco-system that is economically viable". Everyone on the project took the ball and ran with it. The ideas came flowing in: use yard scraps for the retaining wall, install orphan plants from other jobsites, schedule the weekly maintenance with the construction crew to reduce transportation costs, partner with the village forester to add bio-diversity to the towns' tree stock. It became a competition to see who could make the biggest improvement while saving the most money. In the end, we all won: the homeowner got their dream landscape, we accomplished something new, and the environment was improved.

Photo Descriptions - Construction

1) At first glance, this project showed little promise: an ancient Privet hedge, poor soil, narrow lot, some evergreens but no perennials, shade from the neighbors' house, kids, a dog, and two cats. Oh, and an impossible budget.
2) Once the recycled Chicago paver edge was installed and the hedge renovated, we could turn our attention to the obviously depleted soils. Stones found on-site were left in-situ and the dog was trained to go in a specific spot behind the garage.
3) The space between the houses was an environmental disaster, filled with invasive species and weak or diseased volunteers. Notice the downspout emptying out right on the corner of the foundation.
4) The construction phase of turning a storm-water management feature into a landscape amenity. We removed an annual bed and installed a custom designed 'bubbling rock' with a 75 gallon capacity filled with rainwater from the downspout.
5) Same view post construction: annual plantings reduced, storm-water management, right plant-right place, drip irrigation, soil amendments, heavy planting to reduce weeding, and running water to prevent and abate sensory stress.
6) The retaining wall was suggested by stones found buried near the house. These were incorporated with scraps from the contractors' yard into the new wall. A brick mow edge was added to reduce maintenance and holes were left and planted with Sedum and Phlox.
7) The patio and wall were designed around the historic Yew. No roots were cut and water infiltration points were added to the floor and steps for the roots underneath. It was positioned for optimum shading to reduce the heat island effect.
8) A sunny border garden fronted by maintenance reducing recycled pavers and backed by a renovated Privet hedge. Natives and cultivars had precedence but we stuck to the right plant in the right place philosophy.
9) After the riotous exuberance of the cottage garden, an outdoor space for mental restoration. We used bluestone chips for permeability and recycled material for the edge and wall.
10) Sustainability doesn't have to look different. This classic scene incorporates many sustainable practices: rainwater used to fill the fountain, Ivy to shade the building, recycled materials, and running water to provide avian habitat and abate sensory stress.
11) The vegetable garden is a highlight of the landscape and the embodiment of sustainability: solar lighting, permeable path, companion planting, it produces food for human consumption and provides the owner with a place for mental restoration.
12) The old environmental disaster between the houses reborn as the hidden gem of the project. The invasives are gone and the downspout has been routed to a rain barrel that feeds the water fountain.

ILCA 2009 Awards Program
Sustainable Landscape Construction
SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION

Project Name: Sustainable Riverside Residence
Company Name: Lupfer Sustainable Landscaping, Inc.
Submitter: Tom Lupfer
Scope: Less than 15,000 square feet

SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION CRITERIA
Site must include at least 5 of the below 18 elements to be considered. Additional elements beyond the minimum are worth bonus points based on the strength of the descriptions. Applications are judged based on aesthetics AND sustainable landscaping features. A project with poor aesthetics is unlikely to win an award regardless of the sustainable landscaping practices used.

Plant Choice and Design

1. Invasive species management and control (no invasive species or noxious weeds are used). Use the invasive species list provided by the City of Chicago:

Description: Downloaded list and removed all species mentioned and excluded them from the plant list.

2. Preservation of existing, special status or healthy "old growth" trees or flora.

Description: We planned the patio and entrance to the side yard around two, eighty year old Yew bushes that were two stories high. An Ash and a Honey locust were trimmed to provide more solar penetration. Shrubs were trimmed, fertilized, and watered during construction. Special care was taken around the roots of the one bush when building the retaining wall and patio. The wall was built around the roots and the patio was designed with infiltration points for the roots underneath. These areas were then planted to reduce water flow and increase infiltration.

3. Preserve, restore, or provide native wildlife habitats.

Description: Avian habitat was a top consideration when designing this landscape. Berry producing trees and shrubs were planted throughout the property to attract migratory birds. Understory trees were planted near feeding stations to provide protection. Different forms of shelter were placed; hollow limb for the woodpeckers and a Wren house. Safflower seed, thistles, and sugar water were provided as food. Running water from the fountain and bubbling rock completed their needs.

4. Minimize building heating and cooling requirements with vegetation (as shade).

Description: We planted ornamental trees at a distance to block morning sun in summer but allow penetration in the winter. Boston ivy was planted on the east side of the house and Climbing Hydrangeas were planted on the west side of the house and garage. A naturalized Maple was thinned to allow a Hackberry to prosper on the south side of the house. Mature tress and shrubs were designed around rather than removed.

5. More than 50% of restored or planted plants species are native. 50% refers to the number of plants and not plant species.

Description: Due to the nature of this project we are unable to provide definitive proof, i.e. a plant list with receipts, to attest to the validity of our claim. Transplants notwithstanding, over 85% of purchased plants were natives or cultivars.

Water Management

6. Reduce potable water used in the landscape.

Description: An irrigation audit was performed and necessary repairs and adjustments were made. The system is only used for establishment and observational watering. Rain water was captured in a cistern and rain barrel and used to augment the needs of the fountain and bubbling rock.

7. Storm water management features designed as landscape amenities.

Description: In flood prone Riverside it was important to address this issue. Two gutters were removed from the cistern and the water was captured in a rain barrel and fed to the fountain by a drip line that slowly emptied the barrel so as to avoid stagnant water. The other gutter was run to a seventy-five gallon reservoir to be used by the bubbling rock that was designed, ordered, and drilled to exact specifications.

8. Use permeable pavers or paving techniques.

Description: Bluestone chips and dry laid flagstone were used whenever possible. The patio was pierced in the joints and random corners to allow for water infiltration. These areas were then planted with appropriate material; sedges and stepables mostly.

Social/Human Experience Improvement

9. Implemented outdoor spaces for mental restoration or physical interaction.

Description: A separate little patio shielded from the house, road, and other building was installed near the back of the property. A formal bench area was placed to look back at the residence from a distance. A storage stool was installed inside the vegetable garden fence with its back against the hedge to provide a rest and work station when in the garden.

10. Produce food for human consumption.

Description: Installed vegetable garden: sweet peas, carrots, green peppers, garlic, thyme, green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, and broccoli.

Reuse of Site Resources / Reduction / Hardscape

11. Reuse of on-site structures including hardscape and landscape amenities.

Description: All original native plants in nursery condition were saved and reused in the landscape. The abundant flagstones found on site were used to re-create the original retaining wall. All stones discovered during construction were re-used on site as a landscape amenity.

12. Select products designed for reuse and recycling.

Description: Bricks used for bed and mow edges were recycled street pavers from Chicago. Stones used for retaining wall were yard scraps mixed with material found on site. Material for the 'full range bluestone patio' was in fact remnants and cuttings from other jobs. Bluestone chips were used for ease of deconstruction and re-use.

13. Use of on-site renewable sources to generate site outdoor electricity.

Description: N/A

14. Use of equipment and/or fuels that limit air-pollution emissions.

Description: No heavy machinery was used on this jobsite. Everything was done by hand. Construction was scheduled for the slow summer season so labor hours would be available. Weekly maintenance was performed by the construction crew while on-site to reduce miles traveled.

15. Compost onsite and/or recycle green waste.

Description: One hundred percent of green waste was recycled at the LEED accredited Heartland Recycling Inc. facility in Forest Park, Illinois.

Soils

16. Preserve existing healthy soils in a soil protection zone to protect from disturbance.

Description: All areas not directly impacted by construction were not disturbed.

17. Restoration of soils disturbed during construction.

Description: All soil was retained on site, tested, and amended as recommended. No soil was imported. Poor soil was mixed with organic material generated during the construction process and utilized where appropriate.

18. Preserve existing topography (limit grading to 12 inches above/below contour) to reduce runoff.

Description: Existing topography was not changed more than 12 inches.

19. (optional) ILCA realizes the above list is not comprehensive. Please indicate any other sustainable landscaping practices that demonstrate why this project should be considered for an Excellence in Landscape award.

Description: The guiding design principle behind this project was to reduce the long term costs of and maintenance requirements for, this particular piece of the environment. We reduced the amount of turf-grass, reduced the annual planting area by 85%, installed permanent bed edges and mowing strips to reduce repetitive maintenance tasks, chose the right plant for the right place thus reducing the plants maintenance requirements and mortality rates, used disease resistant cultivars when possible, increased biodiversity, and reduced the amount of water and fertilizer used.