Veteran academic Frederick R. Steiner is a consensus builder. For the Sustainable Sites Initiative, he brought together myriad, diverse interests in all areas of design and construction to develop the world’s first green rating system devoted to landscapes. The dean of the school of architecture at the University of Texas at Austin is credited with catalyzing, inspiring and leading the multidisciplinary team that produced the benchmarks and guidelines for the $2-million Sustainable Sites Initiative, published in November. SITES, a voluntary rating system, is designed to encourage development, design, construction and operation of eco-friendly landscapes. The guidelines are fast becoming a standard for sustainability.
“Fritz has been a tremendous asset and a wise adviser in guiding the development of SITES,” says Deb Guenther, a principal at Mithun and a member of the SITES steering committee.