Building with Nature Assessments

Standards for Green Infrastructure

Building with Nature is a newly established standard for green infrastructure within new development that encourages positive use of natural systems and landscapes. The standard focuses on the interplay between wildlife, water and wellbeing – demonstrating the comprehensive environmental services that carefully considered development can bring. Building with Nature is particularly interested in local trends, such as landscape character, heritage features and traits and local species of conservation concern, to embed development within its environment.

Building with Nature is intended for residential, commercial and mixed-use developments and can be applied at various stages of development.

Design certification can be gained during the early stages followed up with full accreditation on completion (including phased). Retrospective accreditation is also possible as there are fortunately many schemes out there that have already woven in the core standards.

Schemes that are signed-off post-construction will be invited to apply for a Building with Nature National Award, an example scheme is Lower Mill Estate (Building with Nature Full Award (Excellent)).

The Process

The Building with Nature process is managed by a qualified assessor who takes a coordinating role to encourage technical design that meets technical, environmental and social needs, making best and ideally multifunctional use of available spaces.

The Landmark Practice has the in-house expertise to manage the assessment process, so please contact us for details.

The Landmark Practice are our environmental partners of choice. Since 2006 we have benefited from their ecology, landscape design and planning services. They are knowledgeable, experienced and evidently care deeply about what they do. They’ve been instrumental in helping us succeed in around 15 planning applications a year. Flexible and responsive, cost-effective and easy to work with, this is a long term relationship that works for The Lower Mill Estate.

Will Vicary

Managing Director, Lower Mill Estate

For more information and to discuss the requirements of your site or project please contact Andy Spargo, Principal Landscape Architect