Brazilian landscape architecture projects continue to make waves across South America — like the MARAEY mixed-use development project, which will be built in Maricá, a city on the Sun Coast of Rio de Janeiro. This project achieved SITES Gold level precertification, making it the first mixed-use complex to do so in South America. And for their commitment to sustainability, MARAEY was recently awarded a 2021 USGBC regional Leadership Award.

The tourism and residential complex has taken an important step toward becoming a global benchmark in sustainability. With consultancy from the Smart Cities and Sustainable Infrastructure unit at CTE, the project was able to carefully plan for and achieve its SITES precertification.  

SITES certification is administered by GBCI as part of its ecosystem of programs and certifications designed to advance sustainability. SITES promotes sustainable and resilient landscape development and can be used for development projects located on sites with or without buildings to enhance their sustainability, implement green infrastructure strategies, and improve resilience. Essentially, what LEED has done for buildings, SITES aims to do for landscapes. 

Landscapes knit together the fabric of our communities. And sustainable landscapes are critical for their ability to reduce water demand, filter and reduce stormwater runoff, provide wildlife habitat, reduce energy consumption, improve air quality and human health, and increase outdoor recreation opportunities — access to which are critical during times like these.