The Incredible Benefits of Rain Gardens

The Incredible Benefits of Rain Gardens

by | Apr 21, 2022 | Sustainable

As its name suggests, a rain garden is a garden that is irrigated primarily, if not exclusively, with stormwater runoff; even in a drought and in areas where it does not rain that much. And this is because native, drought-resistant, and xeriscaping are utilized to...
Life without Cars

Life without Cars

by | Mar 20, 2022 | Sustainable

In recent years, the San Francisco Planning Department has taken the stance to eliminate parking in many new housing development projects. In other words, many of the new multi-family residential buildings currently under design or construction in the City will not...
Living Walls as Retaining Walls

Living Walls as Retaining Walls

by | Mar 10, 2022 | Sustainable

I saw a sticker about civil engineers a long time ago, which read: “Civil engineers always try to ‘pave’ the world. At the time, I was fresh out of college and understood what that barb meant. As civil engineers, we are trained in calculus, statics,...
The need for more rooftop gardens

The need for more rooftop gardens

by | Feb 15, 2022 | Sustainable

The current housing crisis across California and the legislature is pressuring cities to allow more and taller residential buildings are creating even denser neighborhoods and cities. In San Francisco, for example, which is surrounded by water on all three sides and...
Sustainability and Social Equity

Sustainability and Social Equity

by | Jan 29, 2022 | Sustainable

Even though social equity is one of the three pillars of sustainability, the other two being environmental protection and economic viability, it is a component that we often miss, misinterpret and misunderstand. And I include myself in this group now because I had an...