The Role of Preservation in Sustainable Design
While to many the term historic preservation conjures up images of drafty, energy inefficient dwellings, renovation of old buildings can maintain the principles of 3R living: reduce, reuse and recycle. Preservation and green building have many common goals such as material reuse and creating a long, purposeful life cycle. Preservation is about sustainability.
In A Cautionary Tale, Wayne Curtis offers that “amid our green-building boom, neglecting the old in favor of the new just might cost us dearly.” And I tend to agree. As green building gains momentum, the synergies between sustainable design and historic preservation become more apparent, as does a need to embrace the shared values between the two movements.
Building reuse has intrinsic ecological benefits, primarily embodied energy. While they may lack contemporary technology, existing buildings possess stored energy - the energy used to harvest, manufacture, transport and construct materials. Conservation of these resources is a key factor in creating a sustainable built environment. While older structures are often in need of improvements that boost energy efficiency and lower operating costs, the embodied energy is a significant piece of the overall sustainability picture.
With an ever-increasing focus on new innovations, the ‘greenness’ of older buildings is often overlooked. Traditional buildings hold value not only for their embodied energy, but also because many were built according to principles that were aligned with natural processes. Many traditional buildings evolved according to the surrounding climate with consideration of sun, wind, heat, cold, daylight and ventilation - energy issues which are also addressed in the green building movement.
Another important element to building reuse has to do with engagement. Buildings define developed settings and unless they engage users, their ultimate fate is to become obsolete. That’s not to say that contemporary architecture is unappealing. Instead, it’s a call to recognize the cultural and historical significance of older buildings and how they add to the tapestry of community life.
Building reuse, coupled with ever-advancing green building technologies, plays a significant role in sustainable design that can’t be overlooked. Like most green-minded behavior, using or adapting what already exists is an exercise in sustainability.
- A Cautionary Tale
- Another One Bites the Dust: Hamilton’s Lister Block
- A Natural Connection: Sustainable Design and Historic Preservation
- Historic Water Tower Refurbished Into Green Living Space
*Photo via TreeHugger
