A couple of weeks ago, the National Trust’s Preservation Green Lab released a groundbreaking report, The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse. We’re pleased that the report was met with a good bit of media interest. Check it out:

The Green Dividend from Reusing Older Buildings - NRDC Switchboard

“The study shows that, for most building types, adaptive reuse of older buildings produces measureable – and sometimes impressive – green benefits. The findings with respect to energy impacts for most buildings and adaptations are overwhelmingly positive, and effectively remove one of the arguments that is sometimes made against preservation and adaptation.”

Is It Time to Stop Constructing New Green Buildings? - Fast Company

“Step into a new building in certain parts of U.S. and chances are pretty good that it has been built with the environment in mind (and that there is a plaque bragging about it). Maybe there’s natural lighting, a smart HVAC system, or incredible insulation. It doesn’t really matter. No matter what LEED-certified credentials the building can offer, retrofitting the teardown that came before would probably have made more environmental sense.”

Why the Most Environmental Building is the Building We’ve Already Built - The Atlantic Cities

“We’re not coming out and saying ‘all buildings have to be reused,’ and ‘all new construction is bad,’” Frey says. “What we’re advocating for is a shift in thinking, where at a minimum, we’re considering the environmental impacts associated with demolishing places before we tear them down and build something new.”

This Old House: Why Fixing Up Old Homes is Greener Than Building New Ones - Grist

“To get your head around the broader implications here, consider this: The Brookings Institution projects that the U.S. will demolish roughly a quarter of its existing building stock – 82 billion square feet – between 2005 and 2030, and replace it with new structures. That’s a mind boggling amount of new construction, and even if the new stuff is significantly more energy efficient than the existing stock, it will take decades to recover the initial environmental costs of building it all.”

Proof That the Greenest Building IS the One Already Standing - Treehugger

“It is the wonderful thing about this report, that even when it doesn’t have all of the answers, it anticipates the questions. As a writer about sustainable design it backs up the arguments I have been making for years, and as a preservation activist, it gives me and everyone in the movement the ammunition we need to demonstrate that old buildings are green.”

Historic Buildings May Be Greener Than You Think - New York Times Green Blog

“In New York City, a conflict has long been perceived between historic preservation and urban sustainability goals. Older buildings are often seen as outdated energy hogs that can’t pull their weight, efficiency-wise, in a city that is expected to add a million new residents by 2030.”

LEED From Behind: Why we should focus on greening existing buildings - TIME blog

“A study by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation shows building reuse almost always has fewer environmental impacts than new construction—which means we’d be smart to spend at least as much time renovating existing buildings as we do lionizing fancy new green construction.”

Why Historic Buildings are Greener Than LEED-Certified New Ones - GOOD

“Though the conclusion may seem counterintuitive in an age of ambitious LEED standards in many new buildings, consider that it uses more energy and creates more impact to construct an entirely new building than to fix up one of the same size for the same purpose.”

For more, see articles featured in Environmental Leader, Jetson Green, Building Design and Construction, Greenbang, ArchDaily, BuildingGreen, American Public Media, and Daily Journal of Commerce (PDF).

My earliest historical memories as a child involve a road trip up to Gettysburg National Military Park. At the time it felt like an epic journey (field trips rule!) with a group of friends. I must have been in elementary school at the time because my impressions of that first trip are mostly of being somewhere away from school, and not much about the battlefield itself.

The battlefield. (Photo: fauxto_digit on Flickr)

Fast forward a few years later. I was a senior in high school and we were back over the Maryland border in Pennsylvania. What’s different about this time is context. We had spent weeks talking about the battle and its role in the Civil War. We watched Gettysburg, read The Killer Angels to see how the battle was interpreted, and recognized the love for a fictional Buster Kilraine. I knew more about what I was looking at, and where I was standing. Together the group – like many before us – reenacted Pickett’s Charge, posed in Devil’s Den like a Matthew Brady photograph, and tried to charge up Little Round Top – getting a clearer idea for tactics. It was a great trip. Public history at its finest.

The hills and woods of Gettysburg are covered in boulders. (Photo: macwagen on Flickr)

Although I’ve been to Gettysburg a few times since then, a day trip this past weekend made me think about the journey in a different way. For those of you not from this city, Gettysburg is about an hour and forty-five minutes from Washington, DC. It’s a straight shot up Interstate 270 and Route 15 just over the Maryland border into Pennsylvania. It is a beautiful drive with the Blue Ridge Mountains rising past you into a brilliant blue sky (in my case this was a surprisingly clear sky following a gentle snowfall). It is also a drive that includes the Catoctin Mountain Maryland Scenic Byway.

Scenic byway through Gettysburg. (Photo: fauxto_digit on Flickr)

I think the best definition of what a byway is from the New York Department of Transportation website which states “A scenic byway is a road, but not just a road. It’s a road with a story to tell.” These roads push travelers off the beaten path and links together history, transportation and culture. In the case of the Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway, you learn about the soldiers who marched to Gettysburg, Maryland’s Native American history, and Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint.

Above all else, what pulled me in and made me grateful for the opportunity was how the byway linked the natural beauty of our country with our past, providing me with a vista that inspires.

The National Scenic Byways Program is just one of many preservation programs threatened in the new American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act (HR 7). Learn more about the bill and its effect on historic preservation.

Priya Chhaya is an Online Content Coordinator in the Preservation Division at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

February 6, 2012 was a big day for fans of skilled jobs, green building and community revitalization through historic preservation. Yesterday, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) announced that he, along with Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), would introduce new Senate legislation that would encourage historic rehabilitation in Main Street communities, promote energy-efficiency in rehabilitation projects, and make the credit more accessible to nonprofit organizations. This legislation was introduced in the House last summer, and achieving Senate introduction was the next big milestone for the National Trust and its allies.

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) speaking at the historic Clifton Mansion in Baltimore. (Photos: Eli Pousson, Baltimore Heritage)

The new legislation, the Creating American Prosperity through Preservation (CAPP) Act, would make an already powerful federal historic credit even more so. Over 32 years, the credit has created 2 million jobs; saved 37,000 historic warehouses, factories, and schools; and attracted $90 billion to local economies.

Senator Cardin made his announcement at a press conference at historic Clifton Mansion, which now houses Civic Works, a nonprofit that helps young people prepare for the workforce. The mansion, located in a low-income section of northeast Baltimore, is a poster child for how historic preservation, green energy and community development can intersect – with the federal historic tax credit being the catalyst. Civic Works’ Executive Director Dana Stein talked passionately about how the historic tax credits will make possible the mansion’s $7 million makeover, which will seek LEED Gold certification (a great goal considering their current $17,000 energy bill).

More hard work lies ahead for the National Trust and its allies. Now that both bills have been introduced, our attention will turn toward getting members of Congress on board as co-sponsors. Despite its track record of job creation and community revitalization, the impact of the federal historic tax credit is not widely understood.

In the words of National Trust president Stephanie Meeks, the historic tax credit is simply too important to lose. We will be working hard to educate lawmakers about the power of the federal historic tax credit and the importance of the CAPP legislation. And we’ll need your help.

To join our effort, please take a minute to sign our pledge to help protect and enhance the historic tax credit. 

Erica Stewart is the outreach coordinator for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Public Affairs department.

On January 19, a Superior Court held that the City of San Diego violated California law by pre-approving material alterations to the iconic Cabrillo Bridge and Alcazar Garden in San Diego’s Balboa Park, a National Historic Landmark District. Judge Judith F. Hayes found that the City Council precluded meaningful review and consideration of alternatives under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Plaza de Panama Committee prior to completing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

(Photo: Flickr user beany0)

The Committee had proposed a project to alleviate traffic impacts to the iconic Plaza de Panama and construction of a bypass bridge and 785-space parking structure within the Park. It committed to raise $25 million of the proposed $40 million in project costs and presented the City Council with a draft MOU that described detailed project terms. The MOU also contained a clause promising the public full CEQA review.

On July 19, 2011, despite objections from preservation groups (including the National Trust) the City Council voted to endorse the MOU, with the strong support of the Mayor’s office. Soon after, Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), represented by CEQA attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley, sued the City, seeking to set aside its approval of the agreement. SOHO emphasized that it supported the elimination of parking on Plaza de Panama, but objected to the proposed new bridge and parking structure. According to SOHO, the MOU had foreclosed the opportunity for meaningful consideration of alternatives that could accomplish the City’s goals and minimize harm to the Landmark.

(Photos: Flickr users Michael in San Diego, California, jarnott, and mliu92)

After the lawsuit was filed, the City of San Diego claimed the litigation was frivolous and moved to impose sanctions on attorney Brandt-Hawley. But Judge Hayes ultimately agreed with SOHO on the merits. The Judge found that the City Council’s endorsement of the MOU “constitutes action that effectively forecloses due consideration of project alternatives or mitigation measures that are essential parts of CEQA review.” The court looked to the terms of the MOU itself and the “surrounding circumstances” to find that the City had committed itself “in such a way that any promise of meaningful future CEQA review would constitute a post-hoc rationalization to support the action already taken.”

The Court relied on the landmark California Supreme Court ruling in Save Tara v. City of West Hollywood (2008) 45 Cal.4^th 116, which sets forth the test for when a pre-approval has occurred. Save Tara stated that courts should look to the “surrounding circumstances” to determine whether a public agency has committed to the project that will cause environmental harm “as a practical matter.” Id. at 132.

(Photo: Flickr user Osbornb)

In this case, Judge Hayes found that the circumstances surrounding the City’s treatment of the Balboa Park project indicated pre-approval. The City had been put on notice that the project proponent would only support the project as proposed in its draft MOU. After the City’s Rules Committee declined to recommend the project, Mayor Jerry Sanders emailed his supporters asking them to urge the City Council to sign the MOU. Upon approving the MOU, the Mayor and City Councilmembers insisted they had not made a binding commitment. But the Court found that the Mayor’s actions, in particular, demonstrated that the City “publicly defended the project in the face of opposition and committed resources to its approval.” Further, the MOU required the City to provide services such as staff assistance to the project proponent and directed the City to secure tax-exempt bonds to construct the parking garage.

The decision underlines an important principle of CEQA—that the purpose of environmental review is to shape projects, not merely justify them. In this case the City of San Diego violated the public trust by endorsing a particular project alternative without the benefit of environmental review. Luckily, Judge Hayes reinstated a fair public process for the Plaza de Panama Project by requiring rescission of the MOU. Public agencies should take note that CEQA, as with its sister federal law under NEPA, is not simply a hindrance to project approval. Its fundamental purpose—to find the best possible solutions for iconic places like Balboa Park—is squarely in the public’s interest.

2/8/12 – The original sentence “Judge Hayes firmly rejected the sanctions motion and ultimately agreed with SOHO on the merits” was replaced with “But Judge Hayes ultimately agreed with SOHO on the merits.”

Brian R. Turner is a Senior Field Officer and Attorney for the National Trust for Historic Preservation in its San Francisco Field Office.

I was reminded of this often during this month’s chat about inter-generational preservation, which seemed to move at an even faster pace than usual. (More Millennials joined in, perhaps?) We had a lively discussion of the varied motivations people of different ages have for becoming interested in preservation and ways to keep them active and engaged. (Not surprisingly, holding events centered around food and drink came up – the recurring sub-theme of all the chats!) We also talked about some of the tougher questions – including how to break down stereotypes and how younger preservationists can make their voices heard.

The key takeaways seemed in many ways to echo those uncovered when we were talking about reaching out beyond the “usual suspects” back in August: get involved, don’t generalize, and take it offline. Obviously, all of us who participate in the chats like online communication at least enough to have Twitter accounts, so remembering that not everyone does is critically important to bridging any generation gaps that come up.

Save the date: the next #BuiltHeritage chat will be held Wednesday, march 7, 2012 at 4:00 EST.

The slideshow above hits some of the highlights from the chat, and the full transcript is also available. For anyone looking to connect with other young preservationists, I’d like to recommend our group email list, which you can join by sending a message to subscribe-YoungPres-l@lists.nationaltrust.org.

Sarah Heffern is a member of the Digital and New Media team at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

While Graceland Booms, Other Historic Homes Rot – National Public Radio

“Americans have always sought architectural brushes with greatness. The nation’s first president spent the night at so many inns and private houses that signs advertising “George Washington slept here” were regular roadside attractions even during his lifetime. But only a few homes of celebrated figures, such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and Elvis Presley’s Graceland, have become sites that people go out of their way to visit. Most such places have been torn down, or fall into neglect and disrepair.”

Is landmarking a shield or a sword in the fight against overdevelopment? – Architectural Record

“Among urbanists in America, the advent of landmark-preservation laws in the 1960s is usually viewed as an inspiring time in urban planning: Concerned communities, academics, and fans of architecture banded together to protect beloved old buildings from the grand plans of rich developers and powerful politicians. And, remarkably enough, the Davids usually defeated the Goliaths. But have they acquired too much power?”

In Detail > The Banner Building – The Architect’s Newspaper

“The structure’s cast iron face – both its decorative elements, many of which had fallen off over the years, as well as its structural supports and bracing – was severely corroded. The condition was even worse on the top two floors, an 1898 addition that featured sheet metal decorative elements, which had deteriorated to the point that, in places, a person could press their fingers through them.”

Historic Church With Tiffany Stained Glass Transformed into Beautiful Concert Hall - Inhabitat

“An abandoned Romanesque Revival heritage church in Montreal has been transformed into the beautiful Bourgie Concert Hall. When the historic church adjacent to Montreal’s Museum of Fine Art came up for sale, the museum decided to preserve the architectural culture of the area and bought the building as part of an extensive museum expansion. The adaptive reuse project has not only maintained the church’s façade, but also the 18 rare Tiffany glass stained windows that adorn each side of the building.”

Communities Learn the Good Life Can Be a Killer -The New York Times

“Developers in the last half-century called it progress when they built homes and shopping malls far from city centers throughout the country, sounding the death knell for many downtowns. But now an alarmed cadre of public health experts say these expanded metropolitan areas have had a far more serious impact on the people who live there by creating vehicle-dependent environments that foster obesity, poor health, social isolation, excessive stress and depression.”

David Garber is the blog editor at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

No boarding calls to miss. No need for real luggage (a laundry basket or bundle of reusable grocery bags will do). The chance to split travel costs with friends. Frantic fast food roulette (will the next exit have better options??). That backseat jumble of pillows, outstretched legs, and stray french fries. Beef jerky. Nighttime belting of 80s and 90s classics as a caffeine substitute during exit-less and therefore often creepy and winding stretches. And the total (read: schedule-dependent) freedom to detour and explore.

Something about these brown signs always draws me in. (Photo: Jun Belen)

The beauty of road trips is that they aren’t just about the destination. Those stops at seedy, half-lit gas stations tend to make up roughly/statistically 50 percent of the stories and memories of the trip itself. Or so it seems.

And if I’m in the driver’s seat (with no apologies to history-hating and/or sleeping passengers), some exploration is hard to escape. I’m a sucker for brown highway signs – you know, the ones advertising so-and-so’s birthplace and this-or-that historic district, for ramshackle and seemingly abandoned buildings (keyword: seemingly; see: Memorial Day 2011 road trip to the beach with pit stop at awesomely-ruined-looking house that, upon further inspection, appeared to be an active meth lab), and any food or pitstop option that has more of an air of local-ness about it than just another Chick-fil-A (*ducks*).

Gotta stop for the local (and good for you, too!) stuff. (Photo: Flickr user futurowoman)

A few weeks ago I took such a trip down to Lowgap, North Carolina with a car-full of friends. If you’ve ever been, you’ll remember it as the place with more farm fields and random highway-side patches of English Boxwoods than, anecdotally and without any real information, anywhere else in the country. At one point during the trip we found ourselves on a riverside road in Lexington, Virginia, in search of a gas station – one of those “gas arrow is already below E” moments where everyone’s got their eyes peeled.

We were rolling along when all of a sudden we whooshed past (then quickly circled back for a better look) a little silver-colored building shaped like a coffee pot - which turned out to be an actual quasi-historic roadside attraction that we had absolutely no intention of seeing… but saw. And googled. And now love.

The abandoned ones. They beckon me. (Photo: Flickr user kristina k. dymond)

Sometimes it feels like historic preservation is this very formal and staid task. And, sometimes, it is. We talk about it as a responsibility, which it certainly is. But our interest and engagement with old and historic places can be as casual as slowing down to admire a building shaped like a pot. Or running screaming from a creepy old house. Or easing the gas pedal while passing through an old main street. Our appreciation and interaction with these places, whether accidental, intentional, planned, or spontaneous, is one of the most crucial elements of their eventual memory and sustainability.

I think I’ll probably keep braking for brown highway signs. And sneaking up to scary houses for a closer look. And detouring and exploring and finding and remembering. Join me?

David Garber is the blog editor at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Although he tends to prefer a more mellow playlist, he can say only somewhat ashamedly that, thanks to his latest female-heavy road trip, he now knows most of the lyrics to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” At final edit, it appears the song will be stuck in his head for the remainder of the workday.

Rockhill Creamery – Richmond, Utah
2011 Honor Award

What is now known as Rockhill Creamery began as the Burnham Farmstead in 1895 in Utah’s rocky Cache Valley. It functioned as a family farming operation until it was sold to Pete Schropp and Jennifer Hines in 1986. The new owners saw an opportunity to open a micro-dairy and artisanal cheese operation on the premises, and over the next 20 years, rehabilitated seven of the farm’s historic structures.

Now, the egg-cooler building houses the cheese parlor, where cheeses are handmade in small batches and aged. The hay barn hosts a summer farmers market, and the 1940s granary serves as the farm stand and tasting room. The farm’s historic charm, its commitment to local, sustainable food production and its outstanding artisanal cheese have made it a community hub and a popular tourist attraction.

Each year the National Trust for Historic Preservation celebrates the best of preservation by presenting the Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Awards to individuals and organizations whose contributions demonstrate excellence in historic preservation. We invite you to nominate a deserving individual, organization, agency, or project for a Richard H. Driehaus National Preservation Award. The nomination deadline for all awards is March 15, 2012.

Yet, despite having no formal protection from demolition, the building still stands. This is where the preservation Valentines come in.

Categorize into “things I didn’t realize I had in me.” But yes, this is my official entry. Bring it on. (Photo: National Trust for Historic Preservation)

The Save Prentice Coalition – a collaboration between AIA Chicago, docomomo chicago midwest, Landmarks Illinois, Preservation Chicago, and the National Trust – announced a new, slightly nontraditional campaign (aren’t those the best kind?) to bring attention and, yes, love to Prentice. Presenting, the Show Prentice Some Love contest.

According to their rules, “You can make your Prentice “Valentine” in whatever medium you choose – photography, paintings, songs, short video (60 seconds or less), t‐shirt graphics, and construction paper valentine are just a few of the options.”

To enter, simply email a digital file of your Valentine to loveprentice@gmail.com by 5:00 pm CST on February 13th. Please limit file size to 10 MB or less. For each submission, please include:

• Name of the entrant(s)
• Age of the entrant (this only applies to the “Kids” category for entrants 13 and under)
• Email, phone number or preferred method of contact
• Title for the submission
• Brief (2‐3 sentence) description of the submission and why you love Prentice

Please reference the full contest rules and conditions if you’re planning to participate. We can’t wait to help showcase the winners.

David Garber is the blog editor at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Apparently he also makes Valentines. And may or may not be setting up an Etsy shop.

Seattle’s old buildings: Opportunities, not obstacles – The Seattle Times

“In the historic-preservation community, we are frequently trying to get the word out that as cities evolve and push for sustainability, they should acknowledge the value of maintaining and upgrading old buildings that too often are seen as obstacles rather than opportunities. Reusing these old buildings is actually one of the best ways to improve the environment. It’s much greener than building green from scratch. And, it can make good business sense.”

A Guide to 16 of the Most Classic Types of LA Houses - Curbed LA

“In its February issue, Los Angeles magazine runs through 26 “classic” LA things (in alphabetical order), with entries for Cobb Salad, the Figueroa Street tunnels, the Rainbow bar, terrazzo sidewalks, Vin Scully, yoga, and more. “A,” of course, is for all the awesome architecture, and the magazine put together this handy guide to 16 classic examples of LA houses.”

Imploding the Pruitt-Igoe Myth – Architectural Record

“Accepted wisdom will have us believe St. Louis’ infamous Pruitt-Igoe public housing development was destined for failure. … In the popular narrative, bad public policy, bad architecture, and bad people doomed Pruitt-Igoe, and it became an emblem of failed social welfare projects across the country. But director Chad Freidrichs challenges that convenient and oversimplified assessment in his documentary The Pruitt-Igoe Myth.”

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth: an Urban History – Film Trailer from the Pruitt-Igoe Myth on Vimeo.

Cubs’ plan for bleacher patio gets qualified thumbs up from landmarks staff - Chicago Tribune

“The Chicago Cubs’ latest plan for tweaking historic Wrigley Field is getting a green light – with some conditions – from the staff of the city’s landmarks commission. The plan, which calls for building a patio in the right field bleachers and installing a 75-foot-wide, changing image LED sign on a section of the bleachers, “will not have an adverse effect on the significant historical and architectural features of the landmark,” a staff recommendation says.”

Historic Admiral’s Row at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to be leveled for supermarket - NY Daily News

Work is set to begin Monday at the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Admiral’s Row now that the city has finally wrested control of the site from the feds. City officials plan to tear down nine of the historic but crumbling naval residences and keep two – one of the original houses known as Building B and a Timber Shed, which was used to store ships’ masts and is the last of its kind in the country.”

Miami Herald building is historic on all counts – The Miami Herald

“When it comes to making the case for the historic preservation of The Miami Herald building, it doesn’t matter whether you like or hate the newspaper, or whether you like or dislike the look of the Miami Modern architecture of the building.”

 David Garber is the blog editor at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.