Mitch Howard

Hello Marc –
Jessica Terdeman wrote the Architecture for Humanity article for this project. She is on LinkedIn as… Jessica Terdeman Designer / Project Manager. She may be able to help you with questions.
http://architectureforhumanity.org/updates/2014-01-27-learning-from-via-verde-ny-team-takes-a-trip

Center for Creative Land Recycling also has a lot of useful info and case studies…
http://www.cclr.org/case-studies/design-remediation

Gosia
Sounds like a very “dynamic” site. I believe Jason’s response is a great start. Finding locally sourced used (recycled) firebrick may be a good choice. Of course any recycled material potentially comes with it’s own set of contaminants. Actual sustainability is very difficult to implement… but we must believe it’s possible.   
Many source…[Read more]

There are so many…this subject could be a great research paper. Good luck.
http://www.west8.nl/news/sandy_success_stories_the_little_island_that_could/

http://www.fieldoperations.net/

http://architectureforhumanity.org/node/4875

http://www.arup.com/Projects/Hong_Kong_West_Drainage_Tunnel.aspx

A few places to start…

http://www.landscapeinstitute.org/PDF/Contribute/LIClimateChangePositionStatement.pdf
http://www.asla.org/climatechange.aspx
http://www.toposmagazine.com/previous-issues/magazine/topos-76.html

Stephen
Here is a link to the Vectorworks folks. They do free webinars on a regular basis. This link is for a VW Landmark Demo that should be a good look at the basics. If you join the newsletter, you also get free access to a wealth of past demos. Well worth the time.
Good luck.   
http://www.novedge.com/webinar/83

Hello Mindy
Without access to the original creator of the Dynascape file, my knowledge says your options are pretty thin.
1. If you did have that access, they of course would be able to re-export as a dwg or dwf… or at the very least they can create a PDF from within Dynascape that you can import to AC and then draw over. You may be able import…[Read more]

An added note…You will have an easier time accessing the above mentioned article by googling…
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
SUSTAINABILITY
Natural Landscaping and Artificial Turf: Achieving Water Use and Pesticide Reduction
By Alex Wilson and Jessica Boehland

There could be a huge discussion brewing here on the topic of artificial turf. Another one of many questions that needs to be asked is “what effect does artificial turf have on the health of the soil beneath the installation”? While it is true that most living turf-grass installations in large scale urban spaces cannot be called natural or env…[Read more]

A couple more books to add to what is becoming quite a comprehensive list …
Designing California Native Gardens by Glenn Keator and Alrie Middlebrook.
The California Garden by Jere Stuart French.
The California Landscape Garden by Mark Francis and Andreas Reimann