Green Design: Introduction to Sustainable Water Systems (Based on LEED v4)

The goal of this online interactive course is to introduce you to a perspective on development and design practices that help professionals support communities in managing and sustaining use of local water resources. It is often said when discussing sustainable practices that people need to think globally and act locally. This is especially true when dealing with water resources. Unlike any other resource, water cycles through the earth’s environments at global and continental scales, but each step of that journey serves as a highly valued local resource. This course will discuss a sustainable approach to water use and management in buildings, sites, and campuses. It systematically introduces key concepts that help practitioners understand the larger watershed and community water systems that local development practices impact, and the cultural, social, economic, and health benefits communities derive from earth’s water systems. This course also introduces the consequences of conflicts between current development practices and these water systems and emerging developments practices that work better with, and have a lower-impact on, watershed systems. Brief overviews of LEED-BD+C v4.0 credits that contribute to improved water quality, reduced water use, management of local stormwater and groundwater resources are included to help orient professionals to practices they may wish to learn more about. Lastly, the author provides some examples of how strategies introduced in the lesson can contribute to and express the natural, cultural, social, and aesthetic character of places.