Items Tagged ‘sustainability’
Historic Preservation and Sustainability Go Hand In Hand
Publication Date:
April 4, 2010Written By:
Green Theater InitiativeSource:
The Center for Sustainable Practice in the ArtsRead more...
Synopsis:
Adaptive reuse is closely tied to historic preservation and sustainability. While not all adaptive reuse projects utilize historically registered buildings, many historic preservation projects incorporate some adaptive reuse of the space. The greenest building is always the building already built, making the reuse of an existing building highly sustainable. This article goes into exactly how historic preservation and sustainability are related. It looks at the general process for both avenues and how they can be joined together.
Historic Rehabs A Key Part Of “Construction Stimulus” Bill
Synopsis:
Minnesota has moved one step closer to establishing a historic-preservation tax credit (25 percent income tax credit) for developments in the state. As part of the “construction stimulus” bill, lawmakers hope to incentivize developers to rehabilitate current buildings rather than start from scratch. With the intention of preserving historic buildings, this credit also helps to support sustainable construction through the reuse of buildings. Another provision would allow municipalities to create special assessments to pay for energy-conservation projects in existing buildings, or to issue revenue bonds for qualifying “green” construction projects. The bill also includes a “small-business investment credit” which could be used for an adaptive reuse project meant to rehab a building as a business incubator. Bonnie McDonald, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, has suggested that the historic-preservation tax credit could create 1,500 jobs per year.
Past, Present, and Future
Synopsis:
Following the devastation brought by the 2005 hurricane season, Historic Green has been working with the Holy Cross neighborhood in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward to rebuild in a way that is both culturally and environmentally sensitive – merging historic preservation and sustainability. This union of concepts makes logical sense for New Orleans, a city greatly affected by global warming and problems by their built form. By rebuilding sustainably, the residents hope to be a model zero-carbon community. The nonprofit is focusing on rehabilitating and adapting old buildings using sustainable methods.
Monahan Building
Synopsis:
History
This building built in 1938 once served the Hotchkiss School in Lakeview, Connecticut, as its gymnasium. The 23,000-square foot Georgian-style building, designed by Henry S. Waterbury of the architectural firm Delano & Aldrich, was named after the school’s Athletic Director Otto Monahan who retired in 1941. As the center of sports for the school, it was active for 94 years before shutting down in 2002.[1]
(Re)Developer
The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, classes are provided for grades 9 through 12 as well as some postgraduates.[2] The co-educational institution has embraced LEED Certification as the objective for all its buildings, new and renovated.[3]
Butler Rogers Baskett is a New York-based architectural firm specializing in the design of facilities for institutions of higher education and independent schools, professional and corporate office interiors, sports and club facilities, and specialty retail and historic preservation projects. The firm’s educational practice is committed to a sustainable future.[4]
Outcome
Hotchkiss had originally considered razing the building soon after it stopped using it for athletics. Thanks to the efforts by alumni and others, the school reconsidered the plans and developed a new program.[5] The completely gutted and renovated gymnasium is now home to a new multi-use program of flexible spaces for the alumni and development departments, two residential apartments for visiting faculty and space for the school’s new Center for Global Understanding and Independent Thinking. The project team was successful in receiving Gold LEED Certification for the adaptive reuse project.
BRB chose LEED New Construction Version 2.1 for this project because the design completely changed the building’s program. Monahan’s LEED scorecard includes: Sustainable Sites – 5 points, Water Efficiency – 4 points, Energy & and Atmosphere – 8 points, Materials and Resources – 7 points, Indoor Environmental Quality – 10 points – and Innovation and Design Process – 5 points, for a total of 40 points, one more than the 39-point Gold threshold.
The building’s brick façade, thick walls, generous windows, southern exposure, and slate roof provided an excellent framework for innovations in energy-efficiency. Sustainable features include:
- Water-efficient landscaping, using no potable water
- Water use reduction, 40% beyond baseline
- Energy performance, 25% beyond baseline for existing buildings
- Building reuse, maintaining 75% of existing shell
- 10% recycled content, 20% regional materials
- Controllability of systems
- Daylight for 75% of spaces, views for 90% of spaces
- 100% green power
- Green cleaning and housekeeping[6]
Renovated Sugar Refinery to Provide Sweet New Homes in Brooklyn
Synopsis:
The plans to adapt the Domino Sugar Refinery on the East River are now under public review process for Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). The project is a joint venture between The Refinery, LLC, the CPC Resources (for-profit subsidiary of the Community Preservation Corporation) and Rafael Vinoly Architects (RVA) PC. The old sugar refinery in Brooklyn is on the verge of becoming a green mixed-use model for sustainable development. RVA’s scope includes 2,200 apartments (at least 30% for lower-income families), green roofs, a variety of open spaces that allow public access to the East River, and various LEED certifications.
Car Showrooms are Reborn as Places to Play, Learn
Synopsis:
With the fall of the auto industry (brought on by the public’s shifting concern to drive less as well as the financial crisis), numerous car dealerships have shut down across the country. This has left communities with vacant buildings accompanied by large parking lots as well as higher unemployment. While a number of these buildings are being cleared away, there are a significant amount that are finding new uses. The same environmental concern that has caused people to drive less has also helped fuel the desire to reuse buildings and save material/resources and greenspace.
“Built to sustain thousands of pounds of moving weight, the showrooms are especially sturdy, naturally lit and often ideally located in high-traffic areas.”
Cambridge City Hall Annex
Synopsis:
History
Built in 1871, this building originally served as the Harvard Grammar School for Cambridge. The building sustained significant damage during a fire in 1899. It was then renovated and a new third floor and brick parapet were added.
(Re)Developer
Please supply any developer info you may have regarding the original conversion that took place in 1939.
For the 2002-2003 renovation, the City worked with HKT Architects and Consigli Construction.
Outcome
The 1939 work on the building saw the City convert the school into a new municipal office building. At that time, the brick parapet was removed due to structural issues. The 2002-2003 renovation however saw the building convert into an example of sustainability. The historic exterior of the building was preserved and the brick parapet was recreated to capture the building’s historical significance. A number of new green features were incorporated: water-efficient landscaping, alternative commuting options, minimized heat absorption, recycled materials, sustainable forestry, indoor environmental air quality, solar power, no boiler or furnace, maximized daylighting, “intelligent” lighting, and targeting energy use.[1]
Extreme Green Makeover: Cool Example of Adaptive Reuse
Synopsis:
LPA Inc. has converted an underutilized industrial building near the John Wayne Airport in Irvine, CA. Now the Koll Airport Professional Center, it is now a sustainability-minded professional office complex. The building has received LEED Silver certification and offers flexibility and affordability in a series of sustainably designed office suites. The reuse of the building offers a convenient office location as well as underground parking and public transportation access. Prime parking spaces have been allocated for fuel-efficient vehicles. As for the structure, 76 percent of existing exterior walls and structural elements were reused.
Experts Say “Reuse” is the Slogan of Tomorrow
Synopsis:
Tudor Vieru establishes the idea that “reuse” is the most important part of the the reduce-reuse-recycle pyramid. By reusing items, we diminish the need to recycle them as well as reduce the consumption of energy. Reuse is also the easiest step as it is utilizes what we already have. This concept can be applied to the adaptive reuse model.