THE FUTURE LOOKS GREEN FOR THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are now playing a critical role in investment decisions, development projects, and ongoing operations in the real estate sector, according to a new global outlook published today from HLB and Multilaw. HLB, a global advisory and accounting network, and Multilaw, a global network of law firms, have joined forces and co-authored a report on how an increased focus on sustainability is shaping the real estate sector.

The potential for a multidimensional garden in the woods was clear from the start on a three-plus-acre clearing in Great Falls, Virginia. The owners of a Colorado-inspired, stoneand-wood residence sought to enhance their property with a pool, vegetable garden and play space for children. The plan developed by landscape architect Jeff Plusen layered vegetation in organic curves and set stones as nature might have dropped them. He even integrated a faux stream by recycling pool water over a cascade of Delaware River pebbles.

“It’s a tremendous property carved out of the woods, so the connection to the environment was very important,” Plusen notes.

A wild spirit flourishes in the backyard. Stacked fieldstones support a pool sidewall. Irises and grasses sprout among irregular flagstones, a fire circle and pathways to an expansive lawn. For contrast, orderly travertine pavers surround the pool and gazebo.

Garden installation was undertaken by Planted Earth