One of the most important things that brings our CALAfam together is our joint appreciation for the local communities and the outdoor environment. Each year, our team takes time volunteering for clean ups during creek week, helping disadvantaged members of our communities, and researching how to promote the ecologies not only in our projects, but also internally. Our approach, which promotes our one company culture, is that sustainability reaches farther than just green infrastructure; it touches every part of our practice. The CALA sustain action group is always looking for fun and helpful ways to build and promote this approach in our CALA culture.
Landscape architecture is, at its heart, a discipline that promotes the awareness and viability of the natural environment as an inspiration, a resource, and something to value and protect. At all scales, sustainable design, achieved through planning and designing in conjunction with local ecosystems, is integral to the long-term health and resilience of communities. Our firm has developed an ever-increasing awareness of limited resources and sustainable design processes required of new projects. Storm water quality, MWELO, use of recycled materials, preservation of existing tree canopies and other design practices can all work together to address climate change using artful design and reasonable solutions that promote sustainability based on scale and long-term maintenance considerations.
CALA offers clients current knowledge and resources by maintaining LEED and SITES accredited professionals, ReScape Design & Firescaping certified professionals and QSD/P’s on staff.
Some ways we have incorporated sustainability in our projects:
- Largest installation of Silva Cell technology in Northern California at the SMUD headquarters which also works with a large underground stormwater storage system
- Lightweight roof planter system at UC Davis Memorial Union
- Water capture and reuse system at Sacramento Department of utilities
- Fire damage landscape repair and risk reduction
- Low maintenance manuals for finished projects
- Community gardens and demonstration gardens of all scales
