Details and Materials for Resilient Sites
A Climate Positive Approach
(Author) Meg CalkinsProviding comprehensive information for closing material loops and reducing carbon impacts of site construction, this ground-breaking book is an essential resource for landscape architects and engineers to meet the environmental challenges of the 21st century. It provides strategies, tools, and detailed information for the practice of climate positive design. Reduced carbon, resource efficient materials, and material mixes are addressed for both standard and alternative materials including stone, concrete, asphalt pavement, brick, earth-based materials, wood, biobased materials, metals, and plastics. Construction considerations are discussed and illustrated, and strategies to reduce environmental impacts are offered. Emphasis is placed on durable, resource efficient structures, and reduced embodied carbon approaches for pavements, porous pavements, green roofs, bioengineered embankments, retaining walls freestanding walls, decks and boardwalks, and rails, fences, and screens. Exemplary case studies from around the world are highlighted, and key resources such as assessment tools, information transparency tools, and benchmarking measures are provided. Responding to the need for landscape architecture to account for climate change, resource consumption, and habitat destruction, this important book is key reading for both professionals and students alike.
Meg Calkins
Meg Calkins is a landscape architect and author specialising in resilient site design, sustainable materials, and climate-adaptive landscapes. Her work focuses on practical strategies to reduce embodied carbon, close material loops, and improve long-term site performance in the built environment. In Details and Materials for Resilient Sites: A Climate Positive Approach, Calkins provides detailed guidance on material selection, construction details, and climate-positive design solutions for durable landscapes—making her work especially valuable for landscape architects, engineers, and urban design professionals.