Landscape design comprises much more than just grass and trees, shrubbery and flower beds. In fact, landscape design offers the opportunity to reduce costs, allow for a better environment and contribute to the educational mission of the district. In March, I was lucky enough to present at a webinar hosted by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission. In it, I shared insights on how to effectively use landscape and outdoor spaces to contribute to a facility’s broader goals and purpose. This included:

• Understanding LEED in landscape design;
• The difference between environmental management and maintenance;
• How outdoor spaces contribute to social understanding;
• Learning and landscapes: The convergence of outdoor classrooms and STEAM curriculum.

Take a look through the slides to get an idea—and perhaps even a bit of inspiration—on the broad range of opportunities that are available for outdoor spaces of all types.