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Sustainable landscape architecture starts with three practical moves: choose planting suited to local conditions, reduce unnecessary turf, and manage rainwater and irrigation as one system. Those actions come from Southface Institute’s landscaping guidance, not from a verified copy of the three steps in the Building Design + Construction article named in the original title. The source available for this guide is Southface’s general business-sustainability article, published August 1, 2019; its recommendations should be adapted to the site, local water conditions, maintenance capacity, and applicable codes.
What are the three practical steps toward sustainable landscape architecture?
A workable sequence is:
- Specify native and drought-tolerant plants. Start with a plant palette that reflects the site’s climate and water constraints rather than treating every planting bed as a high-irrigation garden.
- Reduce or eliminate turf near buildings. Keep lawn only where its use justifies the mowing, irrigation, and maintenance it requires.
- Design water management as a system. Use green infrastructure, such as rain gardens or bioretention areas, and pair it with efficient irrigation measures including drip systems, rainwater harvesting, moisture sensors, and weather-station controllers.
This sequence is a practical synthesis of the recommendations in Southface Institute’s landscaping guidance. It is not a claim that Southface reproduced the original Building Design + Construction article’s numbered list. The exact BD+C text was not available in the source material, so the three-step structure below is presented as an implementation framework rather than an attribution.
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Why does the source and its limitation matter?
Landscape decisions are site-dependent. A plant that is appropriate in one region may need supplemental water, fail to tolerate local soils, or be restricted by local rules in another. Likewise, a rain garden needs a suitable location and a maintenance plan; an irrigation controller cannot compensate for poor zoning or damaged distribution lines.
Southface’s article is broad business guidance, not a landscape-architecture standard, engineering specification, or substitute for a site assessment. Use it to establish project questions, then have the design team verify soil, drainage, rainfall patterns, water availability, utilities, accessibility, fire requirements, and local codes before issuing drawings or specifications.
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How do native and drought-tolerant plants make a project more sustainable?
Plant selection is the first design decision because it sets the site’s likely water demand, maintenance routine, and seasonal appearance. Southface recommends selecting native and drought-tolerant plants. The practical meaning is to begin with species known to suit the project’s regional conditions and to reserve higher-water plants for locations where their purpose justifies the additional demand.
1. Define the planting conditions before choosing species
Divide the site into planting zones instead of making one list for the entire property. Record sun exposure, wind, slope, drainage, soil condition, expected foot traffic, visibility, and the level of care the owner can fund. Mark areas that must remain clear for sightlines, emergency access, building maintenance, or accessible routes.
Then ask a regional nursery, landscape architect, or local extension resource to confirm which plants are native or well-adapted in that specific area. The word “native” should be checked against the project’s geography; a plant native to a broad state or country may not be appropriate for every microclimate or soil type.
2. Match plant demand to the water budget
Group plants with similar water needs in the same hydrozone. This lets irrigation settings follow the planting plan instead of forcing an entire bed to receive the amount needed by its thirstiest plant. Drought tolerance does not mean a plant needs no water during establishment; the construction documents should state how new planting will be watered and when responsibility transfers to the owner.
Specify mature size, spacing, soil preparation, mulch requirements, and replacement criteria. A plant list without installation and establishment instructions leaves the contractor and owner to make critical decisions in the field. Confirm that the selected palette can be obtained in the required quantities and that substitutions must be approved for the same functional and water-demand characteristics.
3. Design for maintenance, not just installation
Ask who will prune, weed, replace failed plants, replenish mulch, inspect irrigation, and remove volunteer growth. A low-water palette can still become unsustainable if it is planted too densely, requires frequent shearing, or cannot be maintained with the available staff and equipment. Include a written maintenance period and a clear process for correcting defects or replacing plants that fail to establish.
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Native and drought-tolerant choices should also support the project’s non-water objectives. If the landscape must provide shade, screening, erosion control, habitat, or a durable pedestrian edge, state those functions in the brief and evaluate every candidate against them. Do not describe a plant as “sustainable” on the label alone; document the site condition and performance requirement it is intended to meet.
How can reducing or eliminating turf improve a site?
Southface specifically recommends reducing or eliminating turf near buildings. The decision is not simply “lawn versus no lawn.” It is a use-and-maintenance question: retain turf where people genuinely need a resilient, open surface, and replace ornamental or rarely used lawn with planting or other approved landscape treatments.
1. Map where turf has a job
Walk the site with the owner and mark areas used for recreation, events, informal circulation, service access, or erosion control. Identify strips that are difficult to mow, narrow spaces beside walls, steep slopes, shaded corners, and areas that are irrigated only because they were originally grassed. Those locations are candidates for a different treatment, subject to accessibility, fire, drainage, and maintenance requirements.
Ask whether a proposed lawn area is sized for actual use or merely follows a conventional setback. A smaller, well-defined lawn can be more useful than a large area that is rarely occupied. Where turf remains, give it a clear edge and protect it from conflicts with vehicles, snow storage, downspouts, and building service work.
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2. Choose a replacement based on function
Replacement planting should do a specific job. A shrub or perennial bed may provide screening; a planted swale may convey or slow runoff; a stabilized path edge may protect circulation; and a low-growing groundcover may occupy a visual area that does not need foot traffic. The design team should document the intended function, mature dimensions, irrigation approach, and maintenance frequency for each replacement zone.
Do not remove turf from a slope or drainage path without checking how the change affects soil stability and runoff. Likewise, do not place dense planting where it would block required sightlines or access. The sustainable choice is the one that reduces unnecessary resource demand without creating a new safety, drainage, or maintenance problem.
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3. Detail the transition so it survives construction
Show the limits of turf removal, soil preparation, edging, mulch depth, plant spacing, and any temporary protection on the drawings. Coordinate removal with grading and irrigation work; leaving abandoned sprinkler heads in a former lawn area can waste water and complicate maintenance. Require the contractor to cap, relocate, or convert unused components as part of the scope.
Give the owner an establishment schedule for replacement planting. New beds may need more frequent attention while roots develop, even when the mature planting is intended to be drought-tolerant. The maintenance plan should explain when watering can be reduced, how weeds will be controlled, and which signs indicate that a plant or irrigation zone needs correction.
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How should green infrastructure and irrigation work together?
The third step is to treat rainfall, runoff, stored water, and irrigation as connected parts of one water plan. Southface names rain gardens and bioretention areas as green-infrastructure examples and identifies drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, moisture sensors, and weather-station controllers as efficient irrigation measures. Select the combination that fits the site rather than installing every feature by default.
1. Start with the site’s water pathways
Trace where roof water, pavement runoff, and landscape drainage currently go. Note low points, existing inlets, overflow routes, adjacent properties, utilities, foundations, and areas that remain wet or erode after storms. A rain garden or bioretention area must be placed where runoff can reach it safely and where overflow has a defined path.
Confirm soil infiltration, groundwater conditions, seasonal saturation, and local stormwater requirements through the appropriate site investigations. If the soil or groundwater does not support infiltration, the design may need another approved treatment or a lined system with controlled discharge. Do not promise that a rain garden will eliminate all flooding or replace a required drainage network.
2. Design rain gardens and bioretention for operation
Document the contributing drainage area, expected inflow, ponding or storage zones, overflow elevation, underdrain requirements if applicable, access for sediment removal, and the plant palette. The planting must tolerate the moisture pattern created by the facility, which may shift from temporarily wet to dry between storms.
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Provide a maintenance schedule that covers inspection after major rain, removal of accumulated sediment, weed control, replenishment of mulch or surface material, and repair of eroded inlets or outlets. Assign responsibility to a named party. Green infrastructure is part of the site’s drainage system; it should not be treated as a decorative bed that can be ignored after installation.
3. Make irrigation efficient and controllable
Use irrigation only where planting needs supplemental water after the site’s conditions and establishment period have been considered. Southface’s examples include:
- Drip irrigation systems: deliver water close to plant roots and can be arranged by hydrozone. Specify compatible emitters, filtration, pressure control, flush points, and access for inspection where those details are required by the project.
- Rainwater harvesting: captures water for an approved non-potable use. Confirm storage location, sizing, treatment, backflow protection, winterization, signage, and local plumbing or health requirements before including it in the design.
- Moisture sensors: provide a site signal that can prevent irrigation when the soil is already wet. Set expectations for sensor placement, calibration, battery or power needs, and periodic verification.
- Weather-station controllers: adjust schedules using weather information. Verify the controller’s connection, local weather input, programming authority, and fallback behavior if the signal is unavailable.
Efficient hardware cannot rescue a poorly divided system. Require separate zones for different plant demands and exposure conditions, provide isolation valves and test points, and include commissioning steps so the installer demonstrates coverage and controller operation. The owner’s manual should explain seasonal adjustment, sensor checks, leak response, and who is authorized to change schedules.
How do I turn the three steps into a project brief?
Use the following sequence at the start of a renovation or new-build project. It converts broad sustainability goals into decisions that can be assigned, priced, and checked.
- Write the site constraints. Record location, climate information used by the design team, soil and drainage observations, water sources, utilities, access requirements, fire or security constraints, and applicable local rules.
- Describe landscape functions. List the areas needed for gathering, play, circulation, screening, shade, stormwater treatment, service access, or visual identity. Mark which functions are mandatory and which are optional.
- Set a water and maintenance intent. State where supplemental irrigation is acceptable, which areas should be low-water after establishment, how often maintenance can occur, and who will own the system.
- Prepare a plant and turf plan. Identify native and drought-tolerant candidates for each zone, define the turf areas to retain, and document proposed replacements with their functions and establishment needs.
- Trace runoff and select green infrastructure. Show drainage paths, possible rain-garden or bioretention locations, overflow routes, and any limitations revealed by soil or groundwater review.
- Coordinate irrigation with planting. Lay out hydrozones, choose appropriate efficient measures, remove or repurpose irrigation made unnecessary by turf reduction, and provide controls that the owner can operate.
- Price maintenance and commissioning. Include establishment watering, inspections, plant replacement, irrigation adjustment, sensor or controller setup, and post-installation training rather than pricing only the initial installation.
- Verify before construction. Have the landscape, civil, plumbing, and building teams resolve conflicts with foundations, utilities, accessible routes, fire access, and local stormwater requirements.
What trade-offs should the design team document?
There is no universal ranking among planting, turf removal, green infrastructure, and irrigation technology. A transparent decision record helps the owner understand why a measure was selected or rejected.
| Decision | Questions to answer | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Native or drought-tolerant palette | Is each plant suited to the project’s region, soil, exposure, and intended function? Can the supplier provide the required quantity? | Approved plant list, source or regional suitability notes, mature dimensions, establishment requirements |
| Turf reduction | Where is lawn actually used? What will replace it, and how will the replacement handle access, drainage, and maintenance? | Use map, area calculations, replacement details, maintenance responsibility |
| Rain garden or bioretention | Can runoff reach the facility safely? What happens during overflow, saturation, or sediment accumulation? | Drainage plan, soil or infiltration findings, overflow detail, inspection schedule |
| Irrigation measure | What water source, control, inspection, and owner training does the system require? What happens if a sensor or weather signal fails? | Hydrozoning plan, equipment schedule, commissioning record, operating manual |
What common mistakes undermine a sustainable landscape plan?
- Using “native” as a complete specification. Regional suitability, mature size, soil, exposure, and maintenance still need to be checked.
- Removing turf without assigning a function to the replacement. An attractive bed that blocks access or creates difficult maintenance is not a successful substitution.
- Installing green infrastructure without an overflow route. Every facility needs a documented response to storms larger than its design condition or to clogged soil and inlets.
- Buying efficient irrigation hardware without hydrozones. Drip lines, sensors, and controllers work within a designed distribution system; they do not correct mismatched plant demands.
- Leaving establishment care undefined. Newly installed plants may need a different watering and inspection routine than the mature landscape.
- Ignoring local requirements. Stormwater, plumbing, water reuse, accessibility, fire safety, and landscape rules vary by jurisdiction and must be confirmed for the project.
- Failing to train the owner. A controller schedule, sensor, rainwater system, or bioretention area can be misused if operating limits and inspection tasks are not handed over clearly.
How were these three steps selected?
The framework uses the practical landscaping recommendations actually supported by the available source: native and drought-tolerant planting, less turf near buildings, green infrastructure such as rain gardens and bioretention, and efficient irrigation using examples such as drip systems, rainwater harvesting, moisture sensors, and weather-station controllers. The steps are grouped by the order in which a project team can make decisions—planting first, then land-use and turf decisions, then integrated water management—rather than presented as a verified quotation of the unavailable BD+C article.
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Because the source is general guidance from Southface Institute’s August 1, 2019 business-sustainability article, the selection does not establish a universal standard or performance guarantee. Local site data, professional design judgment, maintenance capacity, and code review determine whether a particular measure belongs in a project.
What should a contractor or owner do next?
Begin with a site walk involving the owner, landscape professional, civil or drainage designer, and irrigation specialist. Mark turf that is actually used, identify runoff routes, inventory existing irrigation, and record areas where plants routinely fail. Then turn those observations into a brief with a regional plant list, a turf-retention map, a drainage concept, hydrozones, maintenance responsibilities, and a verification checklist.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is sustainable landscape architecture only for new construction?
No. The three measures can be applied during renovations, phased site work, or routine landscape replacement. Existing grading, utilities, mature trees, irrigation lines, and drainage constraints may limit the options, so an assessment should precede any turf removal or new water feature.
How do I choose native plants for my region?
Start with a regional native-plant reference or local nursery, then have the design professional verify soil, sun, moisture, mature size, and intended function. Confirm availability and acceptable substitutions before the plant schedule is issued, because a species that is regionally native may still be unsuitable for a particular microclimate.
Can a rain garden replace a storm-drain system?
Not automatically. A rain garden or bioretention area is one component of a drainage strategy and needs a safe inflow, an overflow route, suitable soil or engineered media, and a maintenance plan. The civil designer must confirm whether it satisfies the project’s local stormwater requirements.
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What happens if an irrigation sensor or weather controller stops working?
The irrigation specification should state the fallback schedule and who receives fault alerts or performs inspections. Manual seasonal adjustment, isolation valves, accessible test points, and owner training provide a way to prevent overwatering while the control problem is corrected.
