Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Opens Center for Sustainable Landscapes

The new Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) was named one of the SITES pilot projects for its native plantings, rooftop garden, stormwater lagoon, a solar powered water distillation system, five rain gardens, porous paving and constructed wetlands. Design Alliance Architects www.tda-architects.com of Pittsburgh was the project architect. The landscape architecture is by Andropogon Associates www.andropogon.com of Philadelphia.

 
Photo: Denmarsh Photography, Inc.

The newly built 24,350-square-foot Center for Sustainable Landscapes (CSL) at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens https://phipps.conservatory.org in Pittsburgh is designed to achieve net-zero energy consumption. The facility will produce all of its power needs on site via solar panels, geothermal wells and a wind turbines, plus take advantage of passive cooling, heating and lighting methods. The site will also treat and reuse all blackwater and stormwater captured on site.

The CSL is purported to be the first building project to pursue all three of the green architecture and landscape standards: the Living Building Challenge https://ilbi.org/lbc, LEED Platinum and Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) certification.

From its recycled structural steel and salvaged wood siding to its regionally sourced plants, the CSL is the current state-of-the-art in sustainability and intelligent building technologies.

Inside of the CSL and in the demonstration gardens, Phipps will conduct and share the results of research aimed at transforming the way that people relate to nature while serving as an environmental education center that community members can visit. Interpretive signage and an interactive kiosk will greet visitors and guide their exploration of the facility's inner-workings. Guests can explore the outdoor amenities that include meandering paths, a boardwalk, a hillside amphitheater, a fountain, wildlife habitat and scenic panoramas of natural areas.