Today, Lynne Nischwitz, The Kleingers Group Landscape Architecture Studio Leader and Ohio Chapter ASLA Vice President of Legislative Affairs heads to Washington D.C. alongside fellow landscape architects from across the country as part of ASLA Advocacy Day.

Lynne will be meeting with area politicians including John Boehner, Steve Chabot, Sherrod Brown, and Rob Portman to discuss transportation initiatives including complete streets, safe routes to schools, and recreational walks. Specifically discussing the following legislation: In the House: H.R. 2468 the Safe Streets Act; In the Senate: S. 2004; and in the House: H.R. 3978 New Opportunities.

These programs offer landscape architects and other design professionals the opportunity to “design and plan projects that are revitalizing communities, creating local jobs, jumpstarting economic development, and providing affordable transportation choices for communities across the nation.” – www.asla.org/advocacy

To learn more visit http://advocate.asla.org/.

The Kleingers Group recently completed work for Phase 1 of the Campus-Wide Geothermal Distribution project at Antioch College. This small, innovative, liberal arts college provides graduate programs that mix traditional class time with full-time work and community engagement. The noteworthy geothermal project does much of the same.

The project design elements included a large well field with 300 wells; a new entrance; sidewalks and curb; pervious patio; educational rain gardens and vegetable gardens; and a new grand entrance and drop-off area for students. The survey, civil engineering, and landscape architecture designs were completed by The Kleingers Group. While professionals drilled the geothermal wells and set the previous pavers, most construction was carried out by students on campus as part of their education/studio requirements.

The geothermal plant in combination with an existing solar array provides the College an opportunity to expand its sustainability efforts while reducing its overall power usage. Sources state that this package will help cut campus energy costs by nearly $400,000 annually, once completed.

The Cincinnati Public Schools SRTS program recently won the Green Advocacy Award at the Cincinnati Business Courier and Cincinnati Regional Chapter USGBC’s Green Business Awards! The award honors an organization providing educational awareness of the importance of sustainability to the Cincinnati community and/or the public at large. Congratulations Carmen Banks and Cincinnati Public Schools!

Our very own Mark Nolt is shown above with Carmen Banks.  Mark and the rest of our Transportation Group deserve a big congratulations on a job well done assisting Cincinnati Public Schools in developing their award-winning SRTS Program!

A big congratulations goes out to the University of Dayton for receiving their first LEED certified project through the U.S. Green Building Council.  The University of Dayton and GE Aviation teamed together to build the GE Aviation Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center also known as EPISCenter.  The project received LEED gold certification from the Council.  The $53 million EPISCenter Project provides high tech facilities to allow commercial and government researchers to test electrical power systems in airplanes. The 138,000-square-foot facility employs 70 research personnel.  That employment figure could grow to 200 research employees within five years.

The Kleingers Group provided civil engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and zoning entitlement services on the project.  Our contribution to the LEED design included high efficiency parking stall layouts and the design of sustainable rain garden infrastructure throughout the site.  We would like to thank our fellow team members on a successful project:  Hastings & Chivetta Architects, the University of Dayton, Heapy Engineering, Shell & Meyer, and CityWide Development.

Photo Credit: GE Aviation