Feature image: ASLA Center for Landscape Architecture in Washington, D.C. photo credit: Ana Ka'ahanui.
Join the world’s largest gathering of landscape architecture professionals and students heading to the 2024 ASLA annual conference in Washington, D.C. From Oct. 6 to 9, you can choose from over 100 education sessions and explore hundreds of new products, services, technology applications and design solutions on the expo floor.
Register now to gain perspective and establish new connections within the profession and with allied professions.
There are many ways to learn about SITES and interact with the GBCI and USGBC team during the conference.
Expo Hall
Come speak with the SITES team (listed as “USGBC – SITES”) at booth #2624 on the Expo Hall floor. The expo will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
Landscape Architecture Foundation 39th Annual Benefit
Sunday, Oct. 6, 7–10 p.m.
Join SITES, a Silver sponsor, at the Landscape Architecture Foundation’s 39th Annual Benefit evening. The benefit will recognize the exceptional students named as 2024 LAF Olmsted Scholars and celebrate the transformative work made possible by LAF's many friends, partners and supporters. Tickets to this reception-style event include fine food and an open bar, with all proceeds supporting LAF and its key programs and initiatives.
Affiliate and networking event
Sustainable Design and Development PPN Meeting
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 11–11:45 a.m.
For many landscape architects, the desire to provide sustainable design solutions is at odds with clients' wishes to build the most cost-effective project that only meets the minimum code requirements. However, the California Green Building Code requires practitioners throughout California to implement sustainable design practices because the code requires it. This session means to help answer the question, “How can this be done elsewhere across the country?” Our panel of experts will explore how practitioners in other U.S. states can be a catalyst in their region for similar progress at local, state and federal levels, along with stories of ongoing struggles to rewrite codes to make sustainability part of the everyday.
SITES education sessions
Earn SITES continuing education credits in these eight sessions.
Making of a High-Performance Landscape: Story of Inspiration, Collaboration and Continued Dynamism
Sunday, Oct. 6, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The St. Elizabeths West Campus, a National Historic Landmark located in Anacostia, is a site of both regional and national historic significance. The Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building, featuring a landscape of courtyards and green roofs integrated into a seven-story terraced building, demonstrates a model approach for new construction within a historical context.
Connecting People, Place and Water Through Innovative Infrastructure Projects at AlexRenew
Sunday, Oct. 6, 8:15 a.m.–1 p.m.
AlexRenew, the wastewater treatment authority in Alexandria, Virginia, has transformed a former landfill into two of the region’s most innovative and sustainable urban projects. Hear from the visionary ownership and consultant team who are leveraging sustainable design practices to solve the region's water challenges and connect residents to their local waterways.
Design for Freedom: Eliminating Forced Labor in the Building Materials Supply Chain
Sunday, Oct. 6, 10:15–11:30 a.m.
It is time to reimagine landscape architecture and join our architectural and engineering colleagues by raising awareness and inspiring responses to disrupt forced labor in the materials supply chain. Learn how this new movement is mobilizing leaders and how you can participate to design and build a more humane future.
Making Materials Work for Climate Action and SITES
Sunday, Oct. 6, 2–3:15 p.m.
Featuring Danielle Pieranunzi, SITES director, GBCI.
This session explores strategies for specifying and obtaining more sustainable materials to reach the goals outlined in the ASLA Climate Action Plan and SITES rating system. A U.S. federal government agency, a nonprofit third-party certification body, and a landscape architecture and urban design firm will provide diverse perspectives.
From Removal to Reuse: Perspectives on Reclaimed Material in Design
Monday, Oct. 7, 3:45–5 p.m.
Using reclaimed materials in landscape architecture offers a variety of environmental and aesthetic benefits, but there is still untapped potential for these materials in public projects. Hear about how three industry professionals are approaching the benefits and challenges of using reclaimed materials in the public realm.
Outdoor Lighting—Beautiful, Biologically Appropriate and Ecologically Responsible
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8:30–9:45 a.m.
Biodiversity is not exclusive to land and water. The night sky supports significant biological functions for people, plants and pollinators. This workshop will provide the latest insights you need to implement responsible lighting at night, making beautiful nighttime environments more understood while minimizing biological disruption and damage to nocturnal ecosystems.
Unlocking the Carbon Potential of Soils
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 8:30–9:45 a.m.
Soils hold 80% of global terrestrial carbon stocks and are critical for carbon drawdown. The nitty-gritty details of how we work with soils hold the greatest potential for carbon sequestration of any aspect of the built environment. This session shares best practices for maximizing carbon storage in designed landscapes.
Exploring the U.S. Capitol Grounds and U.S. Botanic Garden Landscapes
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
An Architect of the Capitol (AOC) team guides a four-hour civic campus walk featuring Senate Parks, Union Square, the U.S. Botanic Garden (a founder of the Sustainable SITES Initiative) and Capitol Square. Landscape architects, horticulturists and arborists present historic design, recent plans and projects addressing preservation, sustainability, universal access, soils, trees and native plants for an inclusive future.
We look forward to connecting with the landscape architecture community in Washington, D.C..