News, Research, and Case Studies
Sustainability and Preservation in the News
- Preservation Architect and National Trust Sustainability Coalition member Jean Carron, FAIA, delivered testimony on behalf of the National Trust before the Senate Rules Committee on June 18, 2008, to discuss the inherent advantages of reusing existing buildings in the context of increasing reducing the carbon footprint of the U.S. Capitol complex. Read her complete statement for the record.
- Natural Allies: Preservation and Sustainable Development? by Constantine Valhouli, Urban Land - June 2008
- Green Industry Hub Rises from Rust Belt Ruins - by Paul Solman, Economic Correspondent, The News Hour - May 12, 2008
- Bringing the Past into the Future: Preservation as Green, by Matthew Nowakowski, Commercial Builder Magazine - Spring 2008
- The Christmas Building, The Highest Honor for Green: Smith Group's Work Brings First-Ever Awards, by Daniel Duggan, Crains Detroit Business - May 26, 2008
- On Architecture: What Seattle buildings to save: It's worth preserving some of modernism's mistakes - from seattlepi.com by Lawrence Cheek, free-lance writer on architecture and author of "Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona" - April 29, 2008
- The Greenest Building Is…One that is Already Built – by Carl Elefante, AIA, LEED APForum Journal, Summer 2007
- An Inconvenient Turbine: Conservation vs. Preservation – by Sara Schaefer Munoz, Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2007
- Out with the New and in with the Old - by John McIlwain and Knox McIlwain, Urban Land Institute - March/April 2007
- "Finding Common Ground" – by Kim O'Connell, Traditional Building Magazine, June 2007
- Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship, by Tristan Roberts, Environmental Building News January 2007
- Green Building and Historic Preservation Symposium, a speech by National Trust President Richard Moe before a gathering of Washington, D.C. developers outlining the role historic buildings play in creating sustainable development and revitalized communities - April 29, 2008.
- The Home of the Future? – by James Hadley, Architecture Boston, April 2006
Resources
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is compiling and commissioning research to help explain the environmental benefits of preservation. Through this research, the National Trust will quantify the significant adverse impacts that occur when well-built, functional historic buildings are unnecessarily razed or abandoned in favor of new construction.
New! See the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Tipsheet on Historic Wood Windows. Learn why retaining your historic wood windows is the most sustainable thing to do, and how to improve the energy efficiency of these windows.
New! Read about the National Trust co-hosting a Capitol Hill briefing on July 17, 2008 that highlights sustainability case studies that feature historic preservation projects.
General Sources
Click here for a bibliography of resources.
Making the Case: Historic Preservation as Sustainable Development A DRAFT White Paper presented in advance of the Sustainable Preservation Research Retreat, Hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (October 2007)
Appendices to Draft White Paper - Appendix 1, Appendix 2
Training, Workshops and Conferences
- A number of panel discussions will focus on the issue of sustainability and preservation at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Conference in October 2008 in Tulsa. See the conference website for details – and plan to attend! http://www.preservationnation.org/resources/training/npc/
- The National Preservation Institute offers a one day “Green Strategies in Preservation workshop.” See http://www.npi.org/seminars.html for more details.
- The U.S. Green Building Council periodically offers training on the application of LEED to historic buildings. Check the GBC education website at http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=127 for details about upcoming workshops, or contact the GBC workshop staff directly at workshop@usgbc.org.
Case Studies
LEED Certified Historic Buildings
In recent years, a number of rating systems have been developed to assess the green qualities of a building. In the United States, by far the most popular of these systems is the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. There are a number of LEED products that can be applied to the renovation of historic buildings, such as LEED-New Construction (which is intended for use with new buildings and major renovation projects.) and LEED-Existing Building, which is an assessment tool for existing building operations.
More than 30 historic buildings across the country have been LEED certified, and there are a number of projects in progress that will seek LEED certification. With generous financial support from United Technologies Corporation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is working to convert a turn-of-the-century building into a visitors’ center at President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldier’s Home in Washington DC. We expect that the Robert S. Smith Visitor’s Education Center at President Lincoln’s Cottage will earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating. Learn more about work at President Lincoln’s Cottage.
Other Green Historic Rehabs
- The University of Michigan undertook the greening of the Dana Building, an early 20th century building that is now occupied by the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Read more ...
- Trinity Church Rehab, by Goody Clancy Architects, Boston
- United States Naval Academy, by Goody Clancy Architects, Boston
- J.W. McCormack Federal Courthouse and Post Office, by Goody Clancy Architects, Boston
- Cambridge City Hall Annex, case study written by William R. Hammer, AIA
- Villagra Building, a case study in a How-To Guide to Leed Certification for New Mexico Buildings, published by the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
