Green

Written by Rachel Bowdon

As highlighted in our blog last month, USGBC announced on December 7 that LEED-certified existing buildings surpassed LEED-certified new construction on a cumulative basis for the first time ever. It was a great way to finish 2011 and filled us with anticipation for what was to come in the New Year in regards to building reuse and retrofit trends.

Inside the Hearst Tower in New York, a LEED-Gold adaptive reuse project. (Photo: Flickr user suttonhoo)

As we begin 2012, we are excited to see that leaders in the sustainability and green building sectors are projecting that the focus on existing buildings (and older and historic buildings in particular) will not just continue, but get stronger. From programs and policies that encourage energy performance benchmarking and building renovations, to public/private partnerships that encourage energy audits and efficiency, most in the industry agree that reuse and retrofits will be one of the top 2012 green trends. To see for yourself, check out the lists of top trends we’ve compiled below:

Top Green Building Trends for 2012 - Green Building Services

In their top ten green building trends for 2012, Green Building Services (GBS) predicts that existing building renovations “will take center stage” in 2012 because it is “arguably more sustainable and cost effective than new construction.” We should expect to see increased energy benchmarking and continuous commissioning as well as building envelope commissioning in the coming year. In addition, GBS projects that there will be a rise of LEED Multiple Building certification efforts which allows a more cost efficient approach for owners of smaller, new or existing buildings under the control of a single entity to achieve green building goals.

Top Ten Global Mega Trends for 2012 - Green Building Consultant

Similarly, green building industry leader Jerry Yudelson expects that “the focus of the green building industry will continue its switch from new building design and construction to greening existing buildings.” Yudelson, author of Greening Existing Buildings, believes that one of the drivers of this megatrend is that “green buildings have rents and asset prices that are significantly higher than those documented for conventional office space.” In addition, Yudelson foresees that one of the fastest emerging trends will be Performance Disclosure. Performance Disclosure requires commercial building owners to report on the actual building performance to all new tenants and buyers —this requirement has shown to encourage energy efficiency retrofits in existing buildings.

Four Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2012 - Jones Lang LaSalle

Dan Probst, Chairman of Energy and Sustainability Services of Jones Lang LaSalle also believes that energy disclosure will become a major trend in 2012 and that this requirement will help tenants and investors make better informed decisions regarding energy efficiency. Further, he projects that the strong collaboration we saw between the public and private sectors in 2011 will continue to be one of the best ways to overcome obstacles to sustainability. One example includes President Obama’s recent announcement of a $4 billion commitment in energy upgrades to public and private buildings that will be of no cost to tax payers. “Called the Better Buildings Challenge, the eight-year initiative includes $2 billion in energy upgrades of federal buildings and another $2 billion of private capital to improve energy by 20 percent in buildings totaling 1.5 billion square feet.”

Rachel Bowdon is the program assistant for the Sustainability Program at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded non-profit organization, works to save America's historic places.

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The Butcher & Larder in Chicago is a fantastic story of local preservation and sustainability. (Photo: Jill Wait)

The Trouble With Church Preservation - The Atlantic Cities

"In cities nationwide, churches are struggling to maintain the physical plant. Congregations are dwindling, budgets are tight and buildings are becoming aging white elephants. Many denominations, perhaps most notably the Catholic Church, are closing and selling off their buildings to stay afloat.

But these old churches are beloved landmarks, whether people worship there or not. Churches are key to a city’s architectural character and its social and religious history, preservationists say. Often, these advocates will stamp a capital L on these landmarks through official historic designation. At the state or local level, such designations can limit what happens to church buildings by preventing significant alterations or demolition."

Historic church awaits next chapter after closing - Chicago Tribune

"The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany on the Near West Side was built in 1885 and has a firm place in Chicago history. ... But after services Sunday, the church was closed, a decision made by its few remaining congregants. Now, the future of the striking stone and wood building is in question."

Zombie zealots amass to save cemetery chapel from 'Night of the Living Dead' - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Forty-four years ago, Gary Streiner was a 17-year-old kid standing in front of a ramshackle chapel building in an Evans City cemetery, helping to film a movie called "Night of the Living Dead."

These days, Mr. Streiner still visits that spot in the cemetery, in front of the same ramshackle chapel. But now, he's the leader of a growing band of horror fans hoping to preserve the chapel building as a piece of movie history."

Back to the Butchers - Off the Grid

"Recently, we told you all about the East Village Meat Market, a traditional Ukrainian butcher shop on 2nd Avenue and 9th Street. We also told you that this was the last such surviving butcher shop in the East Village. Two others that have been lost within the past 5 years are Kurowycky Meat Products, ... and B&M Meat Market... These neighboring shops both closed in 2007, but their history is well worth revisiting."

Butcher & Larder - Practice & Space by Sergio Salgado

More preservation news after the jump.... Read More →

David Garber

David Garber is the Coordinator of Blog Content & Outreach at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He is a native of Washington, DC, and loves the intersection of preservation, innovation, and sustainability.

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