Everything is going great in New York. I am learning a lot about green building, since I am working at the Queens Botanical Garden which houses a Leed Platinum certified building. Leed Platinum is not an award that is easy to acquire, it takes years of dedication and research by many people. The staff at Queens Botanical Garden exemplifies dedication. By maintaining virtually the same staff throughout the entire process they have created a premier example of a environmentally friendly building and landscape.
The landscape includes a green roof which helps to regulate the temperature within the building. There is also cleansing biotope that naturally filters rainwater using sand, gravel, and various water loving plants. Due to the water capturing system which includes multiple bioswales, there is zero run-off into the city sewers allowing for the use of 100% water collected on-site as well as reducing strain on the already over used New York City storm sewer system. Another really interesting feature is that they use a geothermal well to heat and cool the building. Currently there is also a parking garden with bio-swales and porous pavers under construction.
I could go on for hours about the various environmental practices involving sun, water, and earth used at Queens Botanical Garden to create a harmonious relationship between man and nature, but then you wouldn't have a reason to go visit this truly amazing place. I am learning a lot about the future practices of landscape architecture, architecture, and construction which is making for a very exciting experience.
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