PRINCIPALS OF MARINA DESIGN GROUP ACHIEVE LEED AP

Principals Eric Viado, RLA, and Hue Ta, DBIA, of Marina Design Group are now LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs) with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). According to the USGBC, accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED certification process. LEED APs have demonstrated a thorough understanding of green building practices and principles and the LEED Rating System.  Both principals are now able to work with design and construction teams to aquire LEED certification on any project.

MARINA CERTIFIED FOR CHULA VISTA DESIGN BUILD

On March 16, 2009, Marina was selected for certification as a qualified Design Build entity by the City of Chula Vista’s Department of Engineering Selection Committee. The City selected Marina for their certification list after soliciting a request for qualifications to provide Design Build services for the design and construction of their infrastructure facilities in January of 2009. The City anticipates projects funded over the next several years by the U.S. Government’s Economic Stimulus Package. Ultimately, these facilities will be owned, operated, and maintained by the City of Chula Vista and open to the public. Candidates competed on the basis of experience, design talent, past performance, resources, construction skills, and management skills. Marina has worked on several successful street improvement projects in the City of Chula Vista over recent years. The certified list of Design Build entities will remain in effect for a period of five years.

MARINA AWARDED STATE STREET IMPROVEMENTS

Marina Landscape has been awarded a design build project to improve the landscaping along historic State Street in downtown Redlands, California. State Street is comprised of beautiful historic buildings containing an ecclectic mix of local businesses and restaurants. On Thursday evenings, the Street is closed to vehicular traffic for a lively farmer’s market. The goal of this project is to use environmentally sound and resource efficient landscape practices. Challenges for new landscaping within the street planters include extremes in natural light conditions, aggressive roots from the mature street trees, heavy foot traffic, and pollution. In the new design, native and drought-tolerant plants have been chosen to provide texture, color, connection to the surrounding natural environment, and as sound landscaping practices in a time of limited resources. Native and drought-tolerant plants will add distinction to an already vibrant downtown, enliven the pedestrian and vehicular experience, and help to unify the existing streetscape.

ASSOCIATE PARTNERS WITH EPA’S WATERSENSE

February, 6, 2009—Christopher Curry, Associate at Marina Design Group and a certified irrigation designer and auditor, has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSenseSM program to promote water-efficient landscapes and help consumers save water outdoors. Curry has undergone testing and achieved certification for landscape irrigation design and auditing with an emphasis on water efficiency, through a certification program labeled by WaterSense.

“WaterSense irrigation partners have committed to helping consumers find water-efficient solutions for healthy lawns and gardens—as well as their wallets and the environment,” said Sheila Frace, Director, EPA Office of Water’s Municipal Support Division. WaterSense partners have been certified through programs that test individuals to ensure that they know the most efficient way to design, install and maintain, or audit a landscape irrigation system.

WaterSense irrigation partners certified through a WaterSense labeled auditor program can identify systems that are distributing water unequally or inefficiently and determine how to improve performance.

By signing up as a Water Sense partner, Curry has committed to supporting water-efficient landscape watering practices and staying up-to-date on the latest practices and technologies.

“EPA estimates that more than 50 percent of commercial and residential irrigation water use can go to waste due to evaporation, runoff, or over-watering,” Frace said. “Through efficient irrigation techniques and products, WaterSense partners can help their customers save water and money while reducing stress on water systems and maintaining a beautiful landscape.”

EPA launched WaterSense in 2006 to promote water efficiency and enhance the market for water-efficient technologies by helping customers easily identify products and services that meet EPA’s criteria for performance and efficiency.

WaterSense, a public-private partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helps protect our water supply for future generations by making it easy to identify water-efficient products and services. For more information on WaterSense or a full list of WaterSense irrigation partners, visit <www.epa.gov/watersense>.

ASSOCIATE COMPLETES IRRIGATION CERTIFICATION

 

Chris Curry, IA, CLIA, CID, Associate at Marina Design Group, has received his Certification in Commercial Irrigation Design from the Irrigation Association. A Certified Irrigation Designer engages in the preparation of professional irrigation designs, establishes specifications, evaluates site conditions, and determines net irrigation requirements based on the needs of a project. The designer is then responsible for the selection of the most effective irrigation equipment and design methods. The Irrigation Association Certification Board has established certification programs to achieve national recognition of irrigation professionals. Certification exams are designed to meet standards of validity, reliability, and difficulty.

PRINCIPAL JOINS HBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eric Viado, RLA, ASLA, Principal of Marina Design Group, has joined the Board of Directors of the Home Building Council (HBC), a professional organization whose mission is to provide grants to programs that educate students about careers within the building industry, and to provide scholarships to building industry professionals who seek to enhance their careers. Eric adds his 12-year expertise in landscape design, construction, and implementation to an exemplary Board of Directors, who represent builders, consultants, and service providers dedicated to their respective companies and HBC. HBC’s signature event is the Design Build Competition, now going on its 18^th year, which gives high school and community college students the opportunity to see that a career in the Home Building Industry can be fulfilling, satisfying, and prosperous.

LANDSCAPE RETROFIT COMPLETED FOR LEED HOME

Marina Design Group completed the landscape retrofit plans for the Southern California Gas Company LEED Case Study Home #1, the San Fernando Valley’s first certified Green Home. The home, located in Studio City and part of the Gas Company’s Advanced Home Case Study Program, also will be the first home to obtain dual certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes Program and Build It Green’s GreenPoint Rated Program. In the landscape, the spaces around the house were re-programmed to reflect the family’s active lifestyle. Two entertainment spaces were added, one poolside and one under a beautiful mature sycamore tree. A turf area for the kids, handball court, and outdoor shower take advantage of the minimal space surrounding the home. The drought tolerant plant palette, rich in texture through the use of grasses, conserves water and lowers maintenance costs while softening the striking architecture of the geometric facade.

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT A HUGE SUCCESS

Marina Landscape proudly completed a local community service project to help beautify the campus of Western High School located in Anaheim, CA. Donating time, materials, and expertise, Marina worked with Assistant Principal, Bob Jauregui, to identify two critical areas within the school that were in need of immediate attention. On August 16, 2008, a team of over 20 landscape professionals from Marina arrived at the school armed with construction equipment, truckloads of plants and trees, and a new irrigation system to give the school a landscape makeover. Several Western High School students and teachers, along with the Assistant Principal worked on the project. Marina Design Group Landscape Designer, Corey Fox, developed landscape plans and Marina Design Group Irrigation Specialist, Chris Curry, designed a new, efficient irrigation system to keep the newly landscaped areas green and healthy.

MARINA HONORED WITH BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS

On August 2, 2008, the Orange County Chapter of the California Landscape Contractor’s Association held their 50^th Annual Beautification Awards banquet at Strawberry Farms in Irvine. This event proved very fruitful for Marina Landscape, which was honored with three, 1^st-place Beautification Awards. Marina received the Public Works Landscape Installation Award for its work on the Yorba Linda Water District Administration Building, the Public Works Maintenance Award for the North Justice Center in Fullerton, and the Maintenance Project over 10 years old over $3,000/month Award for Yorba Regional Park. The California Landscape Contractors Association is a non-profit trade organization of licensed landscape and landscape-related contractors. The Association’s core goal is to support CLCA members as they create beautiful, enduring landscapes that improve the quality of life.

MARINA FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH LANDCO

Marina Landscape’s new partnership with Landco allows the company to expand its landscape services beyond Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, and into Central California. Landco has been a leader in the Landscape Maintenance and Tree Care industry for over 20 years. They currently maintain projects throughout Los Angeles, Santa Clarita and Ventura. Landco offers complete landscape services to a wide variety of customers including office buildings, industrial buildings, shopping centers, and schools, while personally attending to Property Managers, Landscape Committees and Homeowner Associations. Services include: Exterior Landscape Maintenance, Landscape Renovation, Grass and Turf Maintenance, Irrigation and Water Management, Seasonal Color Design and Installation, Fertilization and Weed Management, and Arbor Care.