This presentation reviews various site planning and design techniques, approaches, principles, successes, pitfalls and roadblocks to designing, establishing and maintaining Green Infrastructure systems and how these landscapes can integrate with well designed environments. The historical natural patterns of hydrology and landscape will be reviewed and compared to impacted, manmade, designed and manipulated patterns of hydrology and landscape. The content will show how we can learn from history by taking our cues from nature when thinking differently about water when we use the mindset of “rainfall integration” through the use of logical efficiencies and proven design methods. Design techniques and real world projects will be shared in relation to using site specific ways that even the general public can understand and appreciate. The presenter will discuss how this can be successfully achieved, but also how quickly these systems can turn into bad science projects if the commitment to their success isn’t embraced by all project stakeholders. Attendees will be able to better understand the relationship between the landscape architect, civil engineer, community members, municipal staff, the architect and the client as it pertains to expectations, aesthetic tolerances, design methods, restrictive and prescriptive ordinances and design standards when applied to using native landscape to integrate rainfall onto a designed site through collaborative site planning methods.

• Attendees will learn how a well-integrated design process and a multi-disciplinary design team can collaborate on successful projects and develop better site plans to integrate rainfall using innovative design methods when they are engaged early in the process.
• Attendees will see examples of real life design techniques, approaches, principles, objectives, successes, pitfalls and roadblocks when integrating building, site and landscape for rainfall integration.
• Attendees will gain a better understanding of patterns of hydrology and landscape by taking cues from nature to better integrate rainfall by using logical efficiencies and proven methods.
• Attendees will learn more about existing threats to OUR water and how by adopting a better water ethic, we as designers can make an immediate impact on water quality.

Workshop Host:  Stormwater Solutions (workshop will be held through the Stormwater University webinar platform)