Design - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 83

edge of your project boundaries there is a road (as in figure 6-2) or a playground that would either
be a nuisance or provide an avenue to access your project site. Designing a feature that would con-
trol or otherwise address this issue would be considered a buffer. That feature could be vegetation
planted to screen restoration areas from view or with sufficient distance to withstand the degrading
influences of the adjacent activities. With the key project features identified, then determine the
compatibility of plant associations between the various project features.
Test for Suitability
Using the Design Evaluation Matrix (fig. 6-3), you now test the conceptual design for compliance by
reviewing and evaluating each of the project requirements. The matrix identifies key project elements
along with key project requirements. Using this tool allows you to evaluate the conceptual design for
suitability in meeting the project requirements. For example, during the initial diagramming process,
a wetland area is placed along an existing streambed. Upon evaluation, you note that an existing park
trail runs adjacent to the proposed wetland. When studying the project requirements, you note that
the wetland is intended as habitat for a sensitive bird species and that the wetland area should be
separate from human intrusions. Therefore, the proposed location for the wetland is assessed to be in-
compatible with the project requirement that the wetland be separate from human uses. The next step
in the concept design process requires that you refine the design and either relocate the wetland area,
close or relocate the footpath, or consider including a buffer to separate these incompatible features.
Refine the Concept
The final step in bubble diagramming is to refine the diagram by eliminating any incompatibilities
and making the necessary adjustments to fit the proposed project features within the existing site.
Here, trade-offs may be necessary as you attempt to satisfy all of the project requirements while
maintaining the project within the project goals. After this step is complete, you are prepared to
move into the design development phase.
Scope, Schedule, and Cost Constraints
The scope, schedule, and cost factors interact to form a dynamic design relationship. The scope
of the project is the definition of what the project is all about: it sets the boundaries as to what
the project is and what the project is not (e.g., acreage, elevations, vegetation communities). The
schedule represents the time that it will take from project inception through completion to deliver
the defined project. The cost represents the total cost to deliver the agreed-upon project scope.
Change one factor, and adjust the other two factors accordingly, either stretching or contracting.
The key factors contributing to project design decisions are either environmental or proj-
ect-definition considerations. A few examples of environmentally based factors are time, naturally
occurring environmental stressors, and site resource constraints, such as the presence of endan-
gered or sensitive species or cultural resources. Factors based on project definition include the es-