/ Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping
QBG by the Numbers
Two new buildings plus landscaping cover more
than 22,000 square feet.
Projected 30 percent water reduction by using
water saving features.
Projected 17 percent electricity savings for
visitor/administration building by installing a
green roof.
90 percent of waste recycled during
construction.
Designed to achieve LEEDŽ Platinum
certification.
Adding Green to Queens Botanical Garden
It's getting a lot greener in Queens! Though
surrounded by the concrete jungles of New
York City, Queens Botanical Garden (QBG)
merges new technology with natural elements
to reduce the environmental footprint of its
newest buildings. QBG's award-winning
building design incorporates components like a
green roof, composting toilets, and a rainwater
harvest system to lessen the impact of its
construction and operations. Scheduled for
completion in spring 2007, QBG's Sustainable
Landscapes and Building Project serves as an
environmentally sound model for future
construction plans in New York City.
QBG is using a variety of innovative methods to apply and promote sustainable design. The
multitalented design team worked together to develop ideas for a two-phase master plan. Using 10
acres of land, the team prepared concepts for two buildings-the horticulture/maintenance facility and
the visitor/administration building-and the surrounding terrain. The models incorporated sun, wind,
water, and plants to create an inviting space where visitors can relax and enjoy their surroundings
while learning about sustainable behaviors and designs.
Elements of the new buildings, such as a green roof and parking garden, allow for the infiltration,
collection, and reuse of rainwater through a rainwater harvest system. These features-along with a
grey water system, composting toilets, and waterless urinals-are projected to reduce water
consumption by 30 percent. The green roof will reduce the need for heating and cooling and provide
additional gardening space. Photovoltaic panels installed on the green roofs capture and use the
sun's energy and are projected to supply 17 percent of the total electricity needs for the
visitor/administration building. The visitor/administration building also is designed to achieve the
highest (Platinum) level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDŽ) certification from
the U.S. Green Building Council and has received the Green Building Design Competition Award,
sponsored by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Landscaping is also an important component of the green design at QBG. Horticultural staff, trained
in sustainable landscaping, will plant woodland, wetland, and prairie plant communities that
contribute to the stormwater management system. The staff will incorporate native plants that are
adapted to the local environment, which will reduce the need for watering. After the completion of the
construction, QBG will move to total organic management of its gardens, transitioning from little to
no synthetic pesticide use. Part of the LEED guidelines requires the minimum use of fertilizers and
-------
pesticides in landscapes and greenhouses, so QBG will include an Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) Plan. Maintaining a minimum number of exotic varieties like banana shrubs, Cuban oregano,
plantains, gingers, and other plants is important to one of the most ethnically diverse communities in
New York City-about 300,000 people, speaking more than 130 languages or dialects, visit QBG
each year-so these plants will be carefully managed through the IPM and sensible watering
practices to ensure that they thrive.
The project is as educational as it is creative. "We feel that this project is a good vehicle to teach
nonprofit institutions and other organizations how to integrate sustainable landscape architecture
and more traditional landscape architecture," says Ms. Jennifer Ward Souder, director of capital
projects at QBG.
"One of the biggest challenges thus far has been the learning curve for everyone involved,"
continued Souder. "But," Souder insists, "communication is the key to facing these challenges."
QBG held various educational workshops during the planning stages and kept communication lines
open. As construction proceeds, Souder performs a daily walk-through with subcontractors and
holds daily and weekly meetings to update each worker. Souder and contractors review the official
LEED compliance requirements at each meeting to remind everyone of the goal of the entire project.
QBG also uses an in-house system called "smoothing" to make sure different departments are
informed of the correct procedures to follow in certain situations during the construction process.
This system includes providing information ranging from how to dispose of materials in
environmentally responsible ways to how to purchase recycled-content supplies. Through the
smoothing system, employees at all levels appreciate the value of the environmental features of this
construction project and are helping to recycle more than 90 percent of the waste generated during
construction. QBG also follows a recycling program for everyday operations.
Just as QBG collaborates internally to ensure the quality of the construction project and final
product, it also partners with the Queens Borough President's Office, the Office of the Mayor, and
the New York City Council. The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs supports the project
and has received New York State Energy Research and Development Authority funding for energy
modeling, materials analysis, and assistance with the LEED certification process.
For more information, please contact Jennifer Ward Souder, director of capital projects, at 718
886-3800 x220 or or Max Joel, capital projects coordinator, at 718
886-3800 x223 or . For a complete listing of the project team or
updates on the project, please visit .
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5306W)
EPA530-F-06-034
September 2006
www.epa.gov/greenscapes
------- |