Enabling Synergies

Sasaki ecologist Andy Sell and staff using site assessment tools to collect data on existing conditions, including soil compaction levels (2a) and infiltration rates (2b). Images courtesy of Sasaki.

Ecologists in design practice should be able to communicate complex ecological narratives in compelling graphics. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

While installation and initial weed management (and weed tolerance) are crucial aspects in meadow installations, their ecological benefits are far superior to monoculture plantings. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

The University of Rhode Island Brookside landscape takes a structured arrangement approach that considers grass and flowering perennial diversity while also making it easy to mow annually and detect problematic weed species each spring. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

While not species‐rich, this Festuca and Schizachyrium mix used for the Cleveland Museum of Art maintenance building green roof and landscape extension balances landscape sustainability and aesthetics by helping to reduce landscape inputs like regular mowing. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

The Sasaki team utilized Mediterranean ecosystem restoration techniques to inform design parameters so as to increase interspecies food webs and increase carbon sequestration through landscape succession in the Ellinikon Metropolitan Park project. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

Utilizing local plant genotypes is paramount in the design to reduce imported diseases and pests, increase local adaptability, and help the Greek nursery trade adopt more sustainable practices. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

In addition to hundreds of mature trees saved through protective fencing, over 3,000 easy‐to‐transplant trees, like these exemplars of the charismatic European olive (Olea europaea), have been moved to a temporary nursery for use in later Ellinikon Metropolitan Park construction phases. Images courtesy of Lambda Development, S.A.

Diagrams explaining the ecology and science behind Zhangjiabang Park’s wetland habitats and the benefits provided by healthy ecosystem services. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

Closed canopy woodlots and recreational open areas are strategically configured to provide comfortable microclimates within and adjacent to the park. Image courtesy of Sasaki.

Sasaki views ecologically centered knowledge as a core competency for designers. In 2023, the firm introduced an internal Ecology Bootcamp to augment ecological literacy and methods across disciplines and project scales. Images courtesy of Sasaki.