Sundine Among First in Nebraska to Earn SITES Accredited Professional Credential
Landscape Architect Josh Sundine has earned the SITES Accredited Professional (SITES AP) credential through Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI), placing him among an elite group of leading professionals who are dedicated to elevating the value of landscapes in the built environment. Josh has been with the firm for five years and has been an integral part of projects involving streetscape design, site planning and design, parks, trails, and recreation environments.
SITES establishes a common framework to define the profession of sustainable landscape design and development. It provides landscape professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to the profession. SITES accredited professionals possess the knowledge and skills necessary to support the SITES certification process, including participating in the design and development process, support and encouraging integrated design, managing the application and certification process, and providing advocacy and education for the adoption of SITES.
“SITES gives our firm the opportunity to be on the leading edge of strategies and systems for sustainable land development,” said Sundine. “It can be applied to development projects located on land with or without buildings and help create landscapes and places that provide important ecosystem services, conserve resources, create regenerative systems, foster resiliency, mitigate climate change, and enhance human wellbeing while strengthening the community.”
The Sustainable SITES Initiative is the first program of its kind to offer a systematic, comprehensive rating system designed to define sustainable land development and management. SITES aligns land development and management with innovative sustainable design — defining what a sustainable site is and, ultimately, elevating the value of landscapes in the built environment.
Land is a crucial component of the built environment and can be planned, designed, developed, and maintained to protect and enhance the benefits we derive from healthy functioning landscapes. The four overarching goals of the SITES rating system are to create regenerative systems and foster resiliency; ensure future source supply and mitigate climate change; transform the market through design, development, and maintenance practices; and enhance human wellbeing and strengthen the community.
