ABSTRACT
Modern environmental design uses many concepts passed down from the ancients, and new technology and ideas continuously evolve. Various energy crises over the years have led architects and city planners to design buildings around the relative location of the sun and other natural formations like trees, mountains, and bodies of water in attempts to increase energy efficiency. Responsible landscape designers will only use plants native to the region to avoid the invasion of foreign species, and desert gardens are likely to be xeriscaped, using cactus in rock and pebble beds to eliminate the need for irrigation. The United States Green Building Council began the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system in 1998 to recognize sustainably designed buildings. These buildings often incorporate solar energy, wind energy, and even geothermal energy to create a zero-emissions state, with the building itself producing all of the energy it needs to run.
