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This is part of a series of video blog posts about green architecture and construction leading up to Greenbuild, the U.S. Green Building Council's annual conference. Planet Green is a Silver sponsor of this year's event, which will be held in Boston November 19-21.
Here's our first tree, a vine maple, and it's very representative of the type of landscaping we'll do in our back yard - local, low-water and planned by us.
Our landscape architects came up with the idea to plant ultra-local plants. They'll have low- or no-water requirements, and will come from this area, representing the species that can proliferate here, in a rocky soil. We won't introduce any invasive plants, because they stress the local environment.
In addition we'll have a vegetable garden. Everyone in the family will have a place to grow whatever they want, even our three-year-old, Maya, and her eight-year-old sister, Gemma. No rules. That's really important. If they want sand and trucks, that's ok too. I want them to play in the dirt, and have that experience, as I did as a kid.
We'll showcase local plants here by the house, and, in addition, have a labeled botanical garden, so visitors can see what is local, learn the names, and also learn about the water requirements. We'll utilize both the bathroom grey water and rainwater for the landscape. They will be stored in cisterns called rain hogs. We'll have a drip irrigation system using the reclaimed water.
In the middle of the backyard, we'll have a circle gathering and picnic-eating area, with DG (decomposed granite) that will let the water go through to the ground water to recharge the water table. And around the circle like a Stonehenge we'll have five big Basalt boulders from the area that are flat and that you can sit on. In the middle we'll have a gathering table made from recycled content Douglas fir, which will serve as my conference table for my home Lifepod solar office, as well as a place for a lot of family and friends to gather. We also hope to use the house for green events, and to showcase the house for tours and lectures.
David Gottfried started Regenerative Ventures and its consulting arm, WorldBuild in 1995, after founding the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993. He is the author of Greed to Green, and is internationally acknowledged as one of the foremost founders of the global green building movement.
Read more in this series:
USGBC Founder David Gottfried's LEED Home Renovation: Intro (Video)
David Gottfried's Home Renovation: Success Is Based on Teamwork (Video)
David Gottfried: Walkable Neighborhoods Are a Greener Choice (Video)
David Gottfried Home Renovation: A Family Affair (Video)
David Gottfried's Home Renovation: Building a Office Lifepod (Video)
David Gottfried: Green Renovation and Historic Choices (Video)
Home Renovation: David Gottfried on Green Framing (Video)
Building an Efficient Bathroom (Video)
Kitchen Design: David Gottfried's LEED Home Renovation
Building an Efficient Bathroom (Video)
LEED Home Renovation: Solar Realization (Video)
Green Home Renovation: Water Strategy (Video)
Green Home Renovation: Ponder the Growth of the Green Movement (Video)
Read more about green building:
How to Go Green: Home Renovation
Learning about Labels: Energy Star vs EPEAT
Know Your Green Home Technologies: Radiant Heat
Green Glossary: Sick Building Syndrome
Keep Your Home Green and Dry: 5 Easy Waterproofing Tips
Know Your Green Building Materials: 3 Cutting Edge Insulations
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