Conservation Design Forum Celebrates 20th Anniversary as a Leader in the Sustainable Environment Field

Elmhurst, IL, October 5, 2014 (Newswire.com) - This October, Conservation Design Forum celebrates 20 years as practitioners and pioneers in sustainable land planning and green infrastructure innovation. Founded in 1994 by James Patchett FASLA, RLA, LEED AP, Conservation Design Forum is recognized across the U.S. for their leading-edge work and their ongoing contributions to the professions of landscape architecture, civil/water resource engineering, and restoration ecology.

Conservation Design Forum is best known for its Chicago City Hall Green Roof project. Completed in 1999, this revolutionary undertaking helped accelerate the green roof/green wall movement as an effective means of managing stormwater runoff, reducing energy demands, re-establishing biodiversity in urban areas, and connecting people with nature in built settings.

CDF's aggregate body of work includes natural-area restorations at national parks and preserves; sustainable corporate and institutional campuses; "Green Streets" municipal re-development; LEED-certified hospitals, schools, libraries, and offices; Army Corps of Engineers and U.S.EPA collaborations; environmental learning centers; and pilot projects for the newly established SITES certification program.

 "The past twenty years have been exciting, and certainly not without challenges," says CDF founder Jim Patchett. "I have been very fortunate throughout to have been associated with many of the brightest minds in the "green" industry, both within CDF as well as through collaboration with like-minded practitioners."

With a growing need for environmentally and economically sustainable building and infrastructure improvements, CDF's multi-disciplinary professional team has expanded since 1996 when Gerould Wilhelm Ph.D., botanist, ecologist and researcher, and David Yocca FASLA, AICP, LEED AP, joined the firm as partners. In 2000, the firm added Thomas Price P.E. as a partner who serves as principal civil engineer and hydrologist. CDF staff currently includes a highly qualified team of designers, engineers, and scientists. With most of its work located in the Great Lakes region, CDF maintains offices in Elmhurst, Illinois and Ann Arbor, Michigan, as well as affiliates throughout neighboring states and across the country.

CDF's work has been recognized with numerous awards at the national, state and local levels including honors from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the U.S. EPA and New York Department of Environmental Protection, Urban Land Institute, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), as well as other prominent foundations and professional associations.

The firm's principals have authored a number of case studies, articles, whitepapers and other publications, and frequently speak on topics related to restorative design, development and land management practices. They support regional and federal initiatives to promote and expand these practices, and serve as technical resources and advisors locally and nationally.

In recognition of the company's 20th anniversary, Conservation Design Forum will present a retrospective look at 20 of the firm's top projects spanning the entire 20 year period from 1994-2014. The project profiles with images and descriptions will be published twice weekly over the next 10 weeks on the company's newly launched blog, Conser-vision, and shared across their social media channels.