... in Site Work, Excavations, and Foundations
Site Selection
- Buying and renovating an existing building rather than building a new one saves a great deal of building material. If the existing building has been scheduled for demolition, it also avoids dumping an enormous quantity of material into a landfill.
- Building on a damaged site, and designing the building so that it helps to restore it, benefits the environment rather than degrading it.
- Building on agricultural land takes that land out of production forever.
- Building in forests and on wetlands and prairies destroys wildlife habitat.
- A building that is well connected to existing networks of public transportation , and to pedestrian and bicycle paths, pays environmental dividends every day for the life of the building by saving fuel, reducing air pollution from automobiles, and minimizing commute times.
