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| sustainability |
| rules of thumb |
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Cambridge Studio
617.547.4477
Newton Studio
617.244.4477
Berkshire Studio
413.528.4452
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| Site Planning |
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Plant Shubs And Bushes next to the home to create an additional wind or snow break and a pockets of dead air that acts as insulation.
Allow at least one foot of space between full-grown plants and the home's exterior wall.
Ground Cover reduces reflected sunlight.
Shading an air conditioner can increase its efficiency by as much as 10%.
Be sure to shade your air conditioning unit if it is outside.
During Construction the largest single killer of tree roots–and thus trees–is soil compaction by heavy machinery.
The roots of most species of large, woody trees grow primarily horizontally. These roots are predominately located in the top 12" of soil,
and do not normally extend to depths greater than 3' to 7', yet extend outward to an average diameter of 1 to 2 times the height of the tree.
As such, tree guards should be erected to protect trees during construction, but since it would be impractical in most cases to establish a complete protection zone,
tree guards should reach at least to the "drip line" of the tree's crown. This action will minimize root death and the corresponding dieback of the
tree's crown.
Source: US Department of Energy-Building America, "Green Building Guidelines," 3rd Addition, March 2003.
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