Santa Monica’s Garden / Garden Project Quantifies the Benefits of Sustainable Building

The push towards sustainablity and the guidelines that many<a href="http://inhabitat.com/ecostrategia-nature-bridge-will-reconnect-barcelona-with-the-collserola-mountains/" target="_blank"> landscape designers </a>and architects follow, could to some degree be considered to be based on a hunch rather than cold hard facts. Hence, if a move from accepted conventional wisdom is going to win over any skeptics, some proof of concept would be required. So, back in 2004 a project known as <a href="http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/Categories/Landscape/Garden-Garden.aspx" target="_blank">Garden / Garden </a>was created in Santa Monica so data could be recorded as to how the differing methods stacked up against a more traditional plan. Two neighbouring houses  formed the basis of the project, and information regarding water usage, labour required, waste produced and other relevant information has been constantly recorded. Hit the jump to see how the houses have fared during the last 8 years and how they've changed during that time.....

The conventional landscape consists of 70 percent turf, beds filled with thirsty plants, no mulch, an overhead sprinkler system, and a time-based “dumb” controller. From scratch this design cost $14,000 dollars to design and implement (approximately $7.50 per square foot). Strangely, although this was considered to be a traditional design for a front of house landscape in that region, none of the chosen plants were actually naturally equipped to survive the Californian climate, hence over time use of water, pesticides and therefore labour required was quite significant.

Next door, a more holistic and sustainable philosophy was employed. The sustainable landscape is made up of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/squiggle-salal/" target="_blank">native plants</a>, water conserving mulch, a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rainwater-recycling-pet-tree-makes-urban-gardening-a-breeze/" target="_blank">water-harvesting system</a> consisting of a dry streambed and an infiltration chamber,<a href="http://inhabitat.com/pervious-paving-reduces-stormwater-run-off/" target="_blank"> pervious paving</a>, a <a href="http://suite101.com/article/drip-feed-irrigation-systems-save-water-and-boost-garden-plants-a405401" target="_blank">drip irrigation system</a>, and a satellite-driven smart irrigation controller.

Using permeable paving such as granite as oppose to concrete allows rainwater to return to the ground rather than run off the property and into the sewers, helping maintain a natural aquifer in the soil. The drip feed irrigation system added to the initial cost (the sustainable landscape cost $22,000 to implement at the outset), but ensures the correct amount of water is provided and reduces labour required. The native plants are more able to deal with diseases etc. and thus pesticides were not used to any great degree.

The results keep being updated and the current state of play over 8 years of records is not only a stark difference in how the two have grown, but also in how the initial extra investment has proved a wise move. The latest data from <a href="http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OSE/Categories/Landscape/Garden-Garden.aspx" target="_blank">Santa Monica Office of Sustainability</a> suggests the sustainable model has used one fifth of the water the traditional version used, produced only a third the amount of waste while requiring about a quarter of the hours in labour to maintain. The extra $8,000 was recouped in the first two years, largely from savings in maintenance.

Add to that the fact the sustainable site is beautiful and eye-catching, flowery, artistic, and engaging unlike the barren traditional landscape while providing habitat for native birds and insects, then the project can be deemed a great success on many levels.

Here at Inhabitat we've showcased thousands of green building and sustainable landscaping projects that save water, conserve energy, and minimize waste. But did you know just how much more efficient building green can be? Back in 2004 a project called Garden / Garden launched in Santa Monica to compare how different sustainable building methods stacked up against more traditional plans....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/santa-monicas-garden-garden-project-quantifies-the-benefits-of-sustainable-building/'>READ ARTICLE</a>