Sustainable Design

“I highly recommend The Berkshire Design Group to effectively create, plan, and oversee construction of municipal parks and playgrounds. Their expertise in Landscape Architecture can not be surpassed by even the largest of firms anywhere in New England.”

CHRISTOPHER M. SPARKS
DIRECTOR OF PARKS & RECREATION,
TOWN OF AGAWAM, MA

The Berkshire Design Group, Inc. has been leading sustainable design strategies for the New England Region since 1984. 

We work with our clients holistically to craft an integrated project that minimizes negative impacts on the environment and improves a project’s immediate surroundings. We’ve been reducing greenhouse emissions, improving water quality, and developing cutting edge design solutions since the firm began.

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Leading the Industry in Sustainable Design

Not only has the firm developed many of the prototypes and standards used by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for Stormwater Design, we’ve lead the site design and construction of the:

  • First Certified Living Building Challenge in the United States

  • First Net Zero Community in New England

  • First PassiveHaus Childcare Center in New England

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Sustainable Accreditation

Across the country there are several voluntary accreditation programs which a client or project may pursue. Of these, USGBC’s LEED Rating System is the most common; others include: The Sustainable Sites Initiative, The Star Communities Rating System for Cities, Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Rating System, and the Net Zero Building Challenge. The Berkshire Design Group has completed numerous projects within each category and serves as a regional expert for many of these programs. For example, The Berkshire Design Group is working with Mass Development on the first Net Zero Neighborhood in Northampton, Massachusetts In addition, we recently completed two Living Building Challenge on the campus of Hampshire College.