Aspect Landscape Planning Ltd’s Post

Don't let construction projects erase the benefits that mature trees provide! Learn how to preserve mature trees during landscape construction projects to ensure their longevity and health here. https://hubs.ly/Q02shZkD0

NFJX Variable frequency water supply equipment for landscape use Reliable,energy-saving, lightweight, and short construction period Integration of urban landscape facility design concepts

The provincial government has announced that it plans to amend the Ontario Building Code to permit mass timber structures as tall as 18-storeys (with the previous maximum being 12). As the architect of several major mass timber projects currently under construction in Ontario, including Limberlost Place at George Brown College (JV with Acton Ostry Architects Inc.), this is an exciting update in the way of sustainable building material governance.    Prior to Limberlost Place, the maximum storeys for a tall wood building in Ontario was 6. For Limberlost Place to have been approved for construction, while maintaining its proposed 10-storey design, provincial building code requirements were changed. By preserving the 10-storeys and officially attaining “tall wood building” status, the project also became eligible for funding—the Green Construction through Wood Program offered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Since that time, we have witnessed a boom in mass timber projects not only in the GTA, but across Canada.    This regulatory amendment represents the exact type of change that our team hoped would occur following the positive example set by Limberlost Place, with regards to factors such as design innovation, carbon sequestration, construction site efficiency, and use of nationally sourced structural elements, to name a few.   https://lnkd.in/gyWNFq-J   #architecture #architect #torontoarchitect #ottawaarchitect #torontoarchitecture #ottawaarchitecture #sustainablearchitecture #sustainabledesign #buildingdesign #construction #buildingmaterials #masstimber #timber #buildingwithwood #canadianforests #glulam #ontariobuildingcode #buildingcode #obc #limberlostplace #mygbc #forestry #carbonsequestration #climatechange #aecindustry #constructionindustry #toronto #ontario #canada #mtarch

Soil compaction during construction significantly impacts the future performance of trees and plants for your project. This translates into increased long-term cost and reduced quality, thus lowering your investment value. Advanced planning safeguards soil health at little cost, allowing trees and plant material to meet their intended purpose: reducing heat gain, expanding the urban forest, providing valuable habitat, and improving soil porosity. Here are examples of cost-effective ways to limit soil damage include: - Before design begins, consider how preservation of existing soils and vegetation may enhance the overall project and reduce project cost, then design to protect those resources. - Consolidate utility service routing into corridors of the site and place under pavement when possible. - Construct sturdy, temporary fencing and vehicle barricades around existing trees and future planting areas. Place fencing and barricades far enough that any grading and paving will not further damage the trees or soils. Consult an arborist or landscape architect to determine minimum requirements. #ConnerLA #ConnerLandscapeArchitects #LandscapeArchitecture #LandscapeDesign #FloridaLandscape #Sustainability #EnvironmentalCare #EarthCare

In June 2022, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, HEB Construction, Fulton Hogan, Aurecon and Tonkin + Taylor formed an alliance to construct the 'Penlink' highway to the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, with Mana Whenua gifting the name O Mahurangi. Isthmus are a sub-consultant to the Alliance bringing innovation, landscape and urban design expertise to the corridor design. The route traverses plantation forestry and native forest /shrubland landscapes, offering an opportunity for an ecologically and culturally grounded approach to landscape restoration, acknowledging the whakapapa of soil. In creating the building blocks to re-establish indigenous ngahere, the standard approach to soil management (using a typical topsoil supply specification) has been put aside in favour of a unique, Aotearoa-specific approach adapted from mine rehabilitation. The O Mahurangi —Penlink Forest Duff Regeneration Strategy was the Winner of the He Iti Pounamu award at the recent Resene New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architecture Awards. The jury acknowledged the strategy "for creating the building blocks that will re-establish the indigenous ngahere in the area. Those building blocks include a small part of the larger infrastructure project – the material from the forest floor – or forest duff. The strategy is award winning because it recognises and promotes the special value of the small forest duff material and seeks to retain and reuse the forest duff into the new soil creation. In turn this assists increasing the soil conditions for life. This has particular value in circumstances where removal of the parent forest is unavoidable". Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu — Although small, it is of great value. Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research Josh Markham, Grant Bailey, Bruce McKenzie, Simon Nicholls #landscapearchitecture #naturebasedsolutions #duff #landscapeecology

One of the areas considered in the Government’s recently published review of the perceived barriers to retrofitting energy efficiency measures into #historichomes in England report, was the planning system. Read our latest blog where BWF Technical Director, Kevin Underwood expands on what the National Planning Policy Framework says about heritage assets and #conservation, how the planning system should be used to ensure well designed and beautiful places, and how these two considerations can have a significant bearing on the choice of timber products, such as windows and doors, for any property or development. https://lnkd.in/efVwEc48 #woodworking #joinery

Q? Answer me this.... can we realistically spread 'green roofs' to predominantly slated pitched roofs in #ireland's #UK & many #European urban landscapes? Too many #greenroofs tend to be on flat commercial or modern residential high-rise buildings. Great...but it still begs the questions. How can existing pitched structures build up 'green urban grids' for us all? I've been asking this question in my head for ages! Now I'm handing it over to the experts.... please share your thoughts & experiences in the comments. If you have practical examples and solutions, I promise to circulate excellent examples for existing buildings & share the knowledge. After reading this article in the UK's GreenScape Spring edition I realised others & myself have asked this question for a while, but it doesn't seem to be addressed in conversations about the many wonderful #greenroof initiatives that are out there! hhttps://lnkd.in/dMvVEgy4 Challenges: 🔎 Structural load bearing needs to be approved & verified 🔎 green roof types of vegetation can be prone to dry areas and consequently fire issues 🔎 biodiversity for Net Gain can be more difficult 🔎 appropriate irrigation can have issues Potential: 🕯 A vast amount of space that can offer Net Gain, particularly in urban residential/ commercial spaces when the public realm is restricted 🕯 more green and biodiverse living and working spaces across the #EU, towards 'carbon sink grids' for our societal evolution 🕯 inspiration for interesting re-imaging of existing buildings - they can be solutions to our climate targets, not problems .... but I'm an eternal optimist! Now for the experts.....

As a Landscape professional, I'm embarking on a series of posts to educate professionals in the Real Estate, Engineering, Construction, and Built industries about practical landscape practices. These insights are designed to enhance comfort and increase property values. Buckle up, we're getting started! To address the current climatological challenges: 1. Employing white roofs can significantly reduce the heat intensity of buildings. 2. Opting for a plant-based medium (eg. Living walls, Green Roofs, Green walls, etc..) offers superior heat insulation. 3. When optimizing land and space, consider reducing concrete materials like pavements and driveways in favour of permeable surfaces like turf or grasses. 4. Integrate plenty of shade trees, noting that not all plants have invasive roots. 5. Integrate shade structures such as pergolas or patios for added comfort. 6. Utilizing water features is also advisable. These measures not only enhance comfort but also contribute to the aesthetics and value of your property. Fun fact: These strategies have practical applications. For further insights, consult a Landscape Professional. Thank you! PS: I hope this was helpful 🙏 hashtag #realestate #landscapearchitecture #engineering #construction #builtindustries #sustainability #environmentalpreservation

SuDS the Movie – Introducing Superhero 2 In the last post we leant about some of the super powers of our drainage engineers when it comes to fighting climate change, such as helping you understand the hydraulic properties of your sites, calculating attenuation requirements and determining the optimum locations of SuDS components to meet your hydraulic constraints. One of the areas where their powers are not so strong, however, is when it comes to identifying the correct planting regimes, i.e. what plants are going to work well in potential drought and deluge scenarios, and also how SuDS schemes can be used to maximise amenity value as well as the type of soil make up required to meet your required porosity. This is where our second Super Hero comes into play, the landscape architect. The main role of a landscape architect is to plan, design and manage the landscapes we live and work in and when it comes to SuDS design, while they may not be experts in the hydraulics they can play a pivotal part in ensuring that your scheme is a success. This is through focusing on how SuDS can maximise the amenity benefits of your site by being woven into the developing landscape strategy creating fabulous spaces for people to live and work. Another critical aspect is what planting should be utilised, not only to improve the space but also to ensure good coverage all year round and deal with the often challenging conditions of a SuDS scheme which may sometimes mean that the plant needs to be able to survive in submerged conditions for some of the time. What about when we want our SuDS schemes to create new habitats and support our struggling eco systems? Who should we call on then? Well tune into the next post where we will meet our final superhero. #Landscape #SuDS #SuDSTheMovie

Smets' microclimate approach is designing for the environment specific to a site. He creates a microclimate from scratch rather than responding to an existing one. He thinks about the built environment as land forms and develops nature based solutions to combat acute weather phenomenon. The end result is nature returns and life returns to urban sites. https://lnkd.in/erxjhWkK