Historic Preservation: March 2008 Archives

Recently, while conducting research for a presentation, I came across a simple yet profound statement:

“The greenest building in the world is the one that is already built.”

I had the “V8” reaction as in, “Wow, I should have known that.” But the sad truth is that most people don’t think of historic buildings as being green. The U.S. Green Building Council, in fact, does not penalize a project for tearing down an existing building (think of all the waste, much less the energy used to construct that older building that is now being demolished).

Yet another green building reference source, the Whole Building Design Guide, really sums it up:

“Sustainability begins with preservation.”

Take the example from the earlier post – the “greenest building in the world” isn’t nearly as green when you factor in the energy used for the staff to commute to and from work every day.

But how can old buildings be green? They are drafty, and the heating bills are outrageous.

As it turns out, that is a myth.

The U.S. General Services Administration, owner/manager of non-military Federal buildings, conducted a study and found that utility costs for historic Federal buildings were actually 27% less than the utility costs for modern buildings. And another study confirmed that. Buildings constructed prior to 1920 were found to be, on average, more energy-efficient than any building constructed between 1920 and 2000. It has only been in the new millennium that the emphasis on energy efficiency and green buildings has gotten us back to where we were 100 years ago.

So what’s the deal?

Once upon a time, Kermit the Frog pined that “It’s not easy being green.” But that was long before “green buildings” became a design standard for architects and engineers around the country. Kermit, today it is hip to be green.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, which promotes green building through their Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) program, almost 1300 buildings are now certified, with another 9800 in the process of becoming certified.

That’s some pretty impressive statistics, especially considering that ten years ago the green building movement was still largely unknown.

But there is more than meets with eye when it comes to sustainable green buildings. When it opened several years ago, the Philip Merrill Environmental Center, headquarters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, was touted as the “Greenest Building in the World.” In fact, it was the first building to obtain LEED Platinum status, the highest certification awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building is located ten miles from Annapolis, and is a wonderful testament to sustainable design, recognized throughout the nation for its environmental friendly features like photovoltaic panels, geothermal heating, and rainwater recycling.

But the Philip Merrill Environmental Center was a new building. And it was constructed ten miles from the former location of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which had previously been headquartered in Annapolis. There, many of the Foundation’s 100 employees walked or rode their bikes to work. Unfortunately, the new building was no longer an easy walk or bike ride for the employees, so they have been forced to drive.

And driving, as it turns out, uses 30% more energy than operating a building.