Pioneering design, engineering, and planning firms are now packaging the concepts and technology of sustainability that transform the built environment. Mostly practiced on the new cities of Asia, these applications were only ideas a mere ten years ago. A new book, Sustainable Instrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design, by Bry Sartre of Sherwood Design Engineers, chronicles Sherwood's role in this emerging area of theory and practice. It provides a window to the innovation that may come back with large scale rretrofit, renovation, and renewal associated with the reweaving of sprawl into tightly knit sustainable communities, suburbs, and cities of sustainable regional metabolism. The publisher's summary follow's below. See also Sherwood's main website and that of their newly formed institute. 

 

About the Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and Design. As more factors, perspectives, and metrics are incorporated into the planning and building process, the roles of engineers and designers are increasingly being fused together. As more factors, perspectives, and metrics are incorporated into the planning and building process, the roles of engineers and designers are increasingly being fused together. Designers are being asked to account for and incorporate systems thinking, material flows, and environmental performance into their work; and engineers are being asked to apply their technical and infrastructural expertise earlier and more comprehensively as an integral part of the design process. "Sustainable Infrastructure" explores this trend with in-depth look at sustainable engineering practices in an urban design as it involves watershed master-planning, green building, optimizing water reuse, reclaiming urban spaces, green streets initiatives, and sustainable master-planning. This complete guide provides guidance on the role creative thinking and collaborative team-building play in meeting solutions needed to affect a sustainable transformation of the built environment.

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