Sustainability is not 'Woke' - Building with the Future in Mind
Short-term wins can be tempting, but in both landscaping and software development, designing with the future in mind is crucial for long-term success. Now, more than ever, there are a glut of options that appear to make ‘short-term’ benefits outweigh all others. Sustainability is about creating something that not only serves its purpose today but continues to deliver value for years to come. Sustainability is not ‘woke,’ it is and has always meant, making smart investments of time and resources that outlast a majority of other option. Plain and simple.
Sustainability in Landscaping
In landscaping, sustainability means choosing plants, materials, and designs that work with the environment rather than against it. This might involve selecting native plants that require less water, designing efficient irrigation systems, or using permeable paving to reduce water runoff.
One project that stands out was a residential landscape design in an arid region. Instead of installing a traditional lawn, we opted for a xeriscape—using drought-resistant plants, gravel, and native grasses. This approach not only conserved water but also required far less maintenance, saving the homeowner money and reducing their environmental impact. It didn’t hurt that it looked REALLY cool and modern, almost like a dystopian future backyard.
Another aspect of sustainability in landscaping is soil health. Practices like composting, mulching, and avoiding harmful chemicals help maintain soil fertility, supporting plant health in the long run. Sustainable landscaping is about creating ecosystems that thrive with minimal intervention. You can’t argue with the economical impact of low maintenance, while having really appealing aesthetics.
Sustainability in Software Development
Sustainability in software development is less visible but equally important. Writing efficient code reduces the computational resources required to run an application, which in turn lowers energy consumption and operating costs. In an era where data centers consume vast amounts of electricity, optimizing for efficiency can have a significant environmental impact.
AI is great. We all love it, but it so #$^@ing energy intensive, the code bases we have right now make it unsustainable given the US’ current electrical grid and energy source dependance (sorry, thinking nuclear, not wind). Beyond resource efficiency, sustainable software development also means minimizing technical debt. Cutting corners today can lead to massive refactoring projects down the line, draining time and money. By investing in clean, well-documented code and scalable architectures from the start, software teams set themselves up for long-term success.
Another dimension of sustainability in tech is the longevity of the software. Building with future-proofing in mind means considering how your software will adapt as technology evolves. Will it integrate easily with new platforms? Is it flexible enough to accommodate future feature additions? These questions are essential for sustainable design. For as much hate as microservices got a decade ago, it helped pave the way for 'dockerization' and the multi-nodal software packages that are ubiquitous to today’s core business software offerings.
Key Principles of Sustainable Design
Real-World Examples
On a commercial landscaping project, our client initially wanted a lush lawn surrounding their office building. However, after discussing the long-term water and maintenance costs, we designed a sustainable landscape with native plantings and a rain garden to manage runoff. Not only did this design reduce the environmental impact, but it also saved the client significant money over time.
In a software project, a team I worked with was developing an e-commerce platform. Instead of using a monolithic architecture, we opted for a microservices approach, making it easier to scale and update features as needed. Everyone groaned, literally everyone except for maybe 3 of us. This future-proofing strategy reduced the risk of technical debt and made the platform more adaptable to market changes which we saw coming.
?
Sustainability is about more than being eco-friendly, wearing Patagonia and driving electric cars; it’s about building resilience and long-term value into your projects. Whether you’re creating a landscape that will thrive for decades or software that can adapt to future demands, investing in sustainability is a wise choice not some political statement.
Think about the legacy of your work. Will it still deliver value years from now? By designing with the future in mind, you’re not only protecting the environment and resources but also creating something that will stand the test of time.
#Sustainability #FutureProofing #SmartDesign #LongTermThinking #SustainabilityisNOTWoke
?