Universities across the globe are recognizing the need to implement sustainable landscaping practices in order to support wildlife, improve water quality and positively impact human health and wellbeing. Georgia Insti...Universities across the globe are recognizing the need to implement sustainable landscaping practices in order to support wildlife, improve water quality and positively impact human health and wellbeing. Georgia Institute of Technology learned that such sustainable practices, when properly aligned with overarching campus goals, can also enable continuous, collaborative decision-making and student engagement. The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is a leading research university situated on 426 acres of land in midtown Atlanta, Georgia, with a student population of 27,000 (Fall 2017). An urban oasis in the center of town, Georgia Tech’s campus offers 312.5 landscaped acres, 3.5 naturalized acres and 110 acres of buildings. The campus is also a level II certified arboretum boasting 12,000+ trees in its urban forest. Prior to the 1990s, Georgia Tech was commonly referred to as a concrete and brick campus with very little landscape. However, in 1999 all that changed when the Georgia Tech administration decided to invest in sustainable landscaping, including the recruitment of qualified staff with specific skill sets to take on this challenge. The Institute’s initial landscape master plan objectives were to reduce impervious surfaces such as surface parking lots, increase woodland coverage and enlarge the tree canopy. A significant amount of sustainable landscape practices and collaborative methods grew from these initial objectives. Establishing a plan with clear goals, having the support of executive leadership and employing the right team members enabled the Georgia Tech campus to be transformed from a concrete jungle to a forested, urban oasis in less than 20 years.展开更多
This work examined the evidence-based design (EBD) and post-occupancy research of hospital healing gardens. The lack of statutory design guidelines raises concerns on how such gardens are created and whether they me...This work examined the evidence-based design (EBD) and post-occupancy research of hospital healing gardens. The lack of statutory design guidelines raises concerns on how such gardens are created and whether they meet the intended design purpose. This issue is particularly important for hospitals because a neutral or even a negative effect on users can be generated. A systematic analysis of the literature in two databases (Scopus and Web of Science) was undertaken. Results showed that pre- and post-occupancy research findings on hospital healing garden design are sparse and design recommendations vary among users. Despite the tack of research on the design of healing gardens, the review showed that while post-occupancy research findings evaluate the effectiveness of design recommendations, pre-occupancy research findings, combined with site analysis, constitute a traditional approach followed in landscape architecture practice and determine the site and user features that must be addressed for each hospital. Pre- and post-research findings must be considered in the design process to create a “successful” healing garden. A summary of EBD recommendations for different users is presented, and the need to enrich the existing amount of EBD recommenda-tions is highlighted.展开更多
文摘Universities across the globe are recognizing the need to implement sustainable landscaping practices in order to support wildlife, improve water quality and positively impact human health and wellbeing. Georgia Institute of Technology learned that such sustainable practices, when properly aligned with overarching campus goals, can also enable continuous, collaborative decision-making and student engagement. The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is a leading research university situated on 426 acres of land in midtown Atlanta, Georgia, with a student population of 27,000 (Fall 2017). An urban oasis in the center of town, Georgia Tech’s campus offers 312.5 landscaped acres, 3.5 naturalized acres and 110 acres of buildings. The campus is also a level II certified arboretum boasting 12,000+ trees in its urban forest. Prior to the 1990s, Georgia Tech was commonly referred to as a concrete and brick campus with very little landscape. However, in 1999 all that changed when the Georgia Tech administration decided to invest in sustainable landscaping, including the recruitment of qualified staff with specific skill sets to take on this challenge. The Institute’s initial landscape master plan objectives were to reduce impervious surfaces such as surface parking lots, increase woodland coverage and enlarge the tree canopy. A significant amount of sustainable landscape practices and collaborative methods grew from these initial objectives. Establishing a plan with clear goals, having the support of executive leadership and employing the right team members enabled the Georgia Tech campus to be transformed from a concrete jungle to a forested, urban oasis in less than 20 years.
文摘This work examined the evidence-based design (EBD) and post-occupancy research of hospital healing gardens. The lack of statutory design guidelines raises concerns on how such gardens are created and whether they meet the intended design purpose. This issue is particularly important for hospitals because a neutral or even a negative effect on users can be generated. A systematic analysis of the literature in two databases (Scopus and Web of Science) was undertaken. Results showed that pre- and post-occupancy research findings on hospital healing garden design are sparse and design recommendations vary among users. Despite the tack of research on the design of healing gardens, the review showed that while post-occupancy research findings evaluate the effectiveness of design recommendations, pre-occupancy research findings, combined with site analysis, constitute a traditional approach followed in landscape architecture practice and determine the site and user features that must be addressed for each hospital. Pre- and post-research findings must be considered in the design process to create a “successful” healing garden. A summary of EBD recommendations for different users is presented, and the need to enrich the existing amount of EBD recommenda-tions is highlighted.