Decarbonizing Details: Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Site Construction - 1.0 PDH (LA CES/HSW)
Recorded On: 10/27/2023
- Registration Closed
This session will provide comprehensive information to decarbonize site construction details. We will explore methods to reduce the embodied carbon of landscape structures including pavements, walls, decks, railings, and other site structures. Resources and techniques for measuring and evaluating the carbon footprint of details and materials will be discussed.
Learning objectives:
- Understand embodied, operational, stored, and sequestered carbon, and how these concepts are applied in design and construction detailing.
- Explore a wide range of construction materials and details to understand their carbon impacts, along with methods to reduce the impacts in all life-cycle phases.
- Identify sources of data to assist with the comparison of embodied carbon in materials and details.
- Explore viable decarbonization strategies for a variety of site structures including pavements, walls, decks, and railings.
Meg Calkins, FASLA, FCELA, SITES AP
Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
North Carolina State University
Meg Calkins, FASLA, is a Professor of Landscape Architecture at NC State University. She has taught and written about resilient site design and sustainable construction for over twenty-five years. Meg's current book is Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Climate Positive Approach. It was published by Routledge in July 2025. Meg is also the author of Materials for Sustainable Sites (2008) and editor of the Sustainable Sites Handbook (2012). Meg served as Chair of the American Society of Landscape Architects 2025 Climate and Biodiversity Action Plan Task Force. She currently serves on the Landscape Architecture Foundation Board of Directors.
Christopher R. Hardy, ASLA, PLA
Associate Principal
Sasaki
Chris focuses on integrating ecology and culture, with a commitment to exemplary craft in the built environment. Chris led Sasaki’s CarbonConscience research project team. Chris also works with the National Recreation and Park Association to research best practices for sustainable parks from 2024 to the present. Through these efforts, Chris has been translating literature reviews and decarbonizing design strategies into tools and educational resources for designers and planners. Chris is actively applying this research to projects in the USA and the EU. Chris believes that every project is not only a design opportunity but an opportunity to experiment and learn.
Corbett Belcher, ASLA
Senior Associate
CMG
Corbett is a Senior Associate at CMG Landscape Architecture. His work ranges from regional and community-based parks to highly demanding urban redevelopment projects. His experiences have fashioned his dedication to public improvement, sustainable development, and design excellence. His has a commitment to an inclusive team approach, application of a local vernacular, and a detailed execution for each project’s overall success. His most recent experience with material reuse, and implementation of carbon reductive practices, has given him a new outlook on project design and delivery.
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