Sustainable SITES Landscape Design: Green Building Excellence

March 14, 2012 by Robin Eschler

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Ms. Margie Grace, award-winning landscape designer, contractor and founder of Grace Designs, is a leader in green design and sustainable development methodologies. She utilizes a holistic view of landscape design supported by the green building alliance, USGBC, to create green systems that balance water management, bio-diversity, resources and more by creating a mini ecosystem that provides the enjoyment, beauty and practicalities desired.

This episode discusses the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) and the far-reaching issues of green design including cost, energy, and the psychological benefits of sustainable development. Margie describes a unique project to design a green, balanced community that supports individual families in a system that simplifies their life in a holistic view, from pleasure to health.

Margie is the winner of the prestigious 2009 International Landscape Designer of the Year Award, the top honor in her field. Her firm has also won numerous awards for landscape design. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Traditional Home, Better Homes and Gardens, Garden Design, Sunset, California Homes, Garden Ideas, and California Home + Design. As president of the Green Building Alliance from 2009 to present, she extends the benefits from green building to green building systems including the grounds and gardens.

To learn more about SITES and their guidelines and to get more detail and resources from this episode, click here.

Filed Under: World Tagged With: green buidling council, green building alliance, green design, LEED, SITES Initiative, sustainable development, sustainable sites, Sustainable Sites Initiative, US Green Building Council, usgbc

About Robin Eschler

Robin L. Eschler, the founder of Social Impact Marketing, started her career in developing foundational marketing strategies for companies of all sizes, from Fortune 500 to individual entrepreneurs and local businesses. She has developed and implemented international campaigns to launch high tech products and services and guided new business owners to successfully navigate the difficulties of growing a business.

Her life-long passion for helping others led her into nonprofit work for over a decade. Early on, she recognized the need for nonprofits to adapt to a rapidly changing world in which technology dominates and for-profit business practices are central to success. Her determination to help social causes in a sustainable way led to her creation of the Women's Radio show Socially Conscious Investing.

Impact investing in for-profits with a mission of social change such as the fight against extreme poverty is a blossoming business sector around the world. With the economic decline, it's clear that Wall Street requires change. Social impact investing addresses that need in a way that provides financial and social ROI.

As the Host of Socially Conscious Investing on WomensRadio, Robin's goal is to educate people about the growth of social impact investing and social venture. Interviews are conducted with socially conscious business experts including foundations and nonprofits, social venture investment firms, micro-loan organizations, investors, educators, authors and social entrepreneurs.

This show's mission is to help change the world through sustainable business practices that contribute to the economy, combat poverty, end hunger and provide better lives to all.

Twice, Robin has been recognized and received the highest honorary award that Rotary International gives, the Paul Harris Award, for service above self. Her community work has included developing local programs for disadvantaged populations such as foster children, troubled teens, and people with disabilities.

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