Sustainability
Historic Preservation and Sustainability are natural partners. Preservation and reuse of historic buildings reduces resource and material consumption, puts less waste in landfills, and consumes less energy than demolishing buildings and constructing new ones. Over the past decade, advances in high performance or “green” buildings have been numerous, but primarily have focused on new construction. As a result, the preservation and adaptability of historic and older buildings has not always been at the forefront of the ‘green’ movement agenda. However, this is changing. Historic buildings, often energy efficient from inherent characteristics, can be upgraded with new technologies to maximize energy performance. Historic features such as windows can be repaired and restored for higher efficiency. In addition to saving existing resources and historic character, historic preservation means environmental, cultural and economic benefits for Washington communities.
