Going Green
On a global scale, people are becoming more concerned with the state of the physical world. In his book Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities, Dennis Rodwell explains that the historic city and historic structures play a large role in achieving better environmental health. He discusses that when historic buildings were constructed, they were done so with vernacular materials, cutting down on environmental impact. Buildings were also constructed by hand, cutting down on pollution. People are again returning to the cities and the historic buildings that were erected during the area’s peak. Historic buildings are the key to environmental health in the future. The United States Green Building Council has launched a “regreen” program aimed at residential restoration and renovation projects. The guidelines are an excellent resource for research as well as lay out some important facts about sustainable remodeling and restoration. Part of the USGBC’s LEED program encompasses Neighborhood Development and Historic Preservation. This program is geared more at large scale residential and commercial projects, however the resources and tips it provides are great even if you’re a do-it-yourself type of person!
The USGBC offers resources for ways to make your historic home both green and energy efficient. Oftentimes it is much easier to retrofit a historic property for today’s energy standards than you would think. The resources provided below offer check lists, things to look for, and additional research options to bring your property into today’s energy efficient world.
USGBC Resource Link
how to improve energy efficiency
heating, ventilating, cooling historic buildings