How do we minimize the impact of building while guarding natural resources? Three design and development professionals offer a practical remedy for livable communities that balance the seemingly opposed goals of land protection and new development. These experts provide adaptable models for architects to create sustainable buildings that rely on environmental assets but do not destroy them (and may even repair them), protect the cultural landscape, and conserve our limited resources.
    Learning objectives:

• Balance the competing requirements for innovation, environmentally responsible design, and economics in new projects
• Demonstrate that construction and conservation, rather than opposing concepts, actually go hand in hand and apply careful, responsible design practices to cultivate sustainable communities
• Integrate living systems into the built environment to such an extent that they restore natural areas that have been damaged, endangered, or made increasingly scarce