Landscape Architect & Specifier News

OCT 2014

LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.

Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/391705

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Romans 1:16 … I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes . . . George Schmok Publisher/Editor-in-Chief gschmok@landscapeonline.com Stephen Kelly Editor skelly@landscapeonline.com Michelle Medaris Education mmedaris@landscapeonline.com Kyle Cavaness Economic News kcavaness@landscapeonline.com Larry Shield Product Editor lshield@landscapeonline.com Michelle Mabanta Editorial Administrative Assistant mmabanta@landscapeonline.com Associate Editors Ashley Calabria Associate Editor/Digital Information University of Georgia calabria@uga.edu Buck Abbey, ASLA Associate Editor: Ordinances Green Laws Org. lsugreenlaws@aol.com Russ Adsit, FASLA Associate Editor/Erosion Executive Director, IECA russ@ieca.org Janet Lennox Moyer, IALD Associate Editor/Lighting moyerj@rpi.edu (In Memoriam) Don Roberts, FASLA Kay Tiller Frank Manwarren David Brian Linstrum Lois E. Schmok Otto Edward Schmok Art Director Nicole Miller nmiller@landscapeonline.com Graphic Designer Matthew Medeiros mmedeiros@landscapeonline.com Ad Coordinator Oliver Calonzo ocalonzo@landscapeonline.com Circulation / Fulfillment Edward Cook ecook@landscapeonline.com Likkien Ralpho lralpho@landscapeonline.com Ana Linares alinares@landscapeonline.com IT Department Web / Tech Manager Jerry Short jshort@landscapeonline.com Web / Graphics Assistant Sam Roe sroe@landscapeonline.com Chief Operations Officer C.O.O. Mark O'Halloran mohalloran@landscapeonline.com Sales Administration Cynthia McCarthy cmccarthy@landscapeonline.com Advertising/Marketing 714-979-LASN (5276) x113 • 714-979-3543 (Fax) Print Advertising Sales Vince Chavira vchavira@landscapeonline.com Matt Henderson mhenderson@landscapeonline.com Kip Ongstad kongstad@landscapeonline.com Trade Show Sales Jared Lutz jlutz@landscapeonline.com Sales Assistant Nathan Schmok nschmok@landscapeonline.com Event Production Amy Deane adeane@landscapeonline.com Inventory/Fullfilments Javier Miranda jmiranda@landscapeonline.com c o m m e n t a r y From a magazine that is green all of the time . . . Welcome to the greenest issue of the year! So, what makes this issue more green than last month's? Well, the title on the editorial calendar for one. But more significant are the projects inside. Still, after so many years (30 years this July) to call one issue the green issue seems kind of moot. After all, landscape is the original green industry and virtually everything ever done in the industry was in some way meant to green the environment . . . Just saying . . . So . . . that said . . . There are some pretty cool green projects inside this issue. I especially like the riverbank restoration on the Malden River near Boston. You know, whether or not you agree with some of the conservation calls and climate claims, one of the best things about the climate of change is that good usually comes from critical thinking. In this case, the culmination of decades of conversation about brown fields and unfettered waste resulted in a section of the river becoming what every section of every river should be: clean, accessible and life sustaining. Also inside you will find three articles about green roofs. A dozen years ago virtually every building in the country had a roof made to withstand the weather, but with no decorative nor memorable features. Today, the growing trend is to add the roof as another floor of useable space. Owners have found that maintenance and utility cost are decreased, while rentable features are added to the project. This raises the question of whether something that makes business sense can actually be considered "green." Who knows, someday they may even find out that landscape absorbs carbon dioxide and creates oxygen . . . Ok . . . Don't get me started on carbon dioxide or weather, since I have been benefitting tremendously from the surge of warm water rising up from the south making my southern California waters teem with yellowfin tuna ripe for the taking off the 40-ft. sportfisher LandEscaper. It seems that even though the Gulf States haven't had a hurricane for more than 100 months, the Pacific is up to 'O' when it comes to named storms. This is causing warm water to push north and with it comes the tuna and the dorado . . . But enough about that and back to the issue at hand . . . Or better, the issue in your hands now . . . That's right in the Green Issue you will also find how green walls are adding life and natural shading to parking lots. This 'cool' idea kinda reminds me of a scene from one of the apocalypse movies where the parking structure becomes grown over after years of nonhuman interaction. Somebody must have said . . . "Yeah, that is cool and we can do that now" . . . I think the trick is to do it with native plants that would subsist even in an apocalypse. By hook or by crook, nature always wins . . . And then there are the projects that use, divert, calm, collect, distribute, filter, abate and absorb stormwater. An interesting note is to see how some projects need to deal with regular amounts of rain, and others need to deal with strong and rapid rains. Out here in the West, we are glad we don't have the frequent rains, while at the same time we are almost hoping for the deluge that will fill our reservoirs. Unfortunately those rain events, especially from an El Niño event can be devastating. It can't be a good thing to hope for a flood, but it is a must when planning for development in the Southwest. So whether you are concerned about the weather or whether your project needs to weather the affects of development, take a look inside this issue of LASN and see whether we have covered the green subject well or whether our well has run dry . . . God Bless . . . Can Green Get More Green? George Schmok, Publisher Find Us Online: @LandscapeComm @landscapeonline @LandscapeOnline.com 14 Landscape Architect and Specifier News

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