Spring Greening

Our Spring Greening Managers have something to tell you!

2010-11-10T08:30:55-06:00

Dear all,

Our fourth annual Spring Greening event is set for March 16-24, 2011.
Why wait to volunteer until then? Join a Committee today!

Here is what the Spring Greening Managers want to tell you:

Sarah Smith says:
Join the SG VOLUNTEERS COMMITTEE!
Make an impact without lifting a hammer.
+ Contact her: HGVolunteers2011@gmail.com for more info.

Michelle Stanard invites you to join:
SG EDUCATION COMMITTEE:
Join this committee to spread the good news about sustainability and
historic preservation, network with people from around the country,
and make a difference in New Orleans.
+ Contact her: mstanard@gmail.com for more info.

Stacie Smith invites you to join:
SG PROJECTS COMMITTEE:
Volunteers + power tools = lives changed.
If you want to be a part of a great team join the projects committee
and help make this years spring greening the best one yet!
+ Contact her: smistal@dunwoody.edu for more info.

Christopher Roclevitch says:
Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department.
Join the SG MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
and help make a difference!
+ Contact him: chrisro125@gmail.com for more info.

Fatima Rizvi invites you to join:
SG SUSTAINABLE EVENT COMMITTEE:
Ensuring sustainability through reuse and recycling for a greener,
cleaner New Orleans.
+ Contact her: frizvi00@gmail.com for more info.

Jay Elizalde says:
It takes green to go green, join the SG FINANCE COMMITTEE!
+ Contact him: jayelizalde@hotmail.com for more info.

Sarah Smith says:
Join the SG FOOD COMMITTEE!
Turn hungry people into happy workers.
+ Contact her: HGVolunteers2011@gmail.com for more info.

2010-2011 Spring Greening Managers announced!

2010-10-15T22:24:11-05:00

Dear all,

After much hesitation, Historic Green is pleased to announce the 2010-2011 Spring Greening Managers! These talented and enthusiastic individuals, chosen from various corners of the country, will lead the way to an action-packed, and exciting Spring Greening event in New Orleans next March 2011. Most importantly, they are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join their efforts and become a member of their committee!

No experience necessary. Incredible opportunity to learn, network, volunteer, and preserve! Please email volunteer@historicgreen.org with the following: (1) Committee of your choice, (2) Brief background about yourself, and (3) Briefly, tell us why you want to join and availability.

2010-2011 SPRING GREENING MANAGERS:

PROJECT MANAGER. Stacie Smith, Minneapolis, MN.

Stacie Smith is a current student at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis, MN. She currently holds an AAS degree in Architectural Drafting and Estimating and is in the process of obtaining a Bachelors degree in Applied Management. Along with her fellow students, Stacie helped create the first and only student chapter of Historic Green at Dunwoody and was elected secretary for the group. Stacie volunteered for the first time this past spring and is eager to get back.

The Projects Committee is responsible for developing and implementing valuable Spring Greening Projects. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

EDUCATION MANAGER. Michelle Stanard, New Orleans, LA.

Michelle Stanard is originally from Dallas, Texas, and recently moved to New Orleans to pursue historic preservation. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2006 with a BA in history and art history, with an emphasis on architectural history. During her undergraduate studies, she worked with two historic preservation non-profit organizations, and really enjoyed working with the different neighborhood associations and putting together educational seminars. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she worked briefly in real-estate, and then began graduate school at the University of Texas School of Architecture. She received an MS in Historic Preservation, and wrote her graduate thesis on the combination of historic preservation and sustainable design practices in post-Katrina New Orleans. While working on her master's degree, she participated in a preservation field school in New Orleans, in which she helped restore historic houses that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Between 2009 and 2010, she worked for a preservation architecture firm in Dallas, Texas doing architectural conservation work and construction administration. She is now working as an art conservator in New Orleans, and is very excited to be part of the Historic Green team!

The Education Committee is responsible for establishing a strong Spring Greening event educational curriculum. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

VOLUNTEERS MANAGER. Sarah Smith. Kansas City, MI.

Sarah Smith became involved with Historic Green during the first Spring Greening in 2008, where she acted as Volunteer Coordinator, and has been helping to organize volunteers for Historic Green ever since. She has no experience with the building industry (aside from reading lots of home decorating magazines), but as a scientist she does have lots of experience making sense of complicated systems. She earned her BS in Physics at Truman State University in 2005, then spent two years as a microscopy specialist at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research before beginning work on her PhD, focusing on cell polarization. She has an eight-month-old son Miles who she hopes to bring along as the youngest volunteer at Spring Greening 2011.

The Volunteers Committee is responsible for ensuring a robust, diverse, happy volunteer force during Spring Greening event. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

COMMUNICATION & MARKETING MANAGER: Christopher Roclevitch. San Antonio, TX.

For Christopher Roclevitch, graduating in May 2009 with my Bachelor’s in Biology meant that he would need to take a year off from school and study hard for the Dental Admissions Test. Along the way, he was introduced to Historic Green and instantly fell in love with the concept of the organization. He was asked to serve on the Volunteers Committee where he enjoyed every step of the journey up to the Spring Greening Event in 2010, and was delighted with the results of what all of the volunteers, embodying the mission of Historic Green. Now that he is in the final process of getting admitted into dental school, he feels a personal motivation not only to pursue his entry into school, but to make Historic Green 2011 the best yet. He is truly looking forward to working with the many interesting people to help the great residents of the Lower 9^th. Aside from golf, volunteering, and running, he looks forward to joining every Sunday afternoon with his men’s league soccer team. Last but not least, he looks forward to giving all he can to Historic Green 2011 and cannot wait to be back in NOLA putting plans into actions.

The Marketing and Communications Committee is responsible for developing creative marketing and communication plan to raise awareness of Spring Greening event. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

FINANCE MANAGER. Jay Elizalde. San Antonio, TX.

Jay Elizalde lives in San Antonio, TX where he is a senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, graduating in December with a Bachelors of Business Administration with concentration in Real Estate Finance and Development. He has been in the commercial real estate business for nearly 2 years with the retail brokerage and development firm, The Weitzman Group. Jay is the president of his student organization, Real Estate Entrepreneurs and Leaders (REEL), a networking and professional development student club that also hosts a yearly Green Building Conference. After experiencing Historic Green’s Spring Greening event for the first time last year, Jay has been excited about working alongside this years management team in order to make 2011’s event a success.

The Finance Committee is responsible for establishing innovative fundraising projects for Spring Greening event. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

SUSTAINABLE EVENT MANAGER: Fatima Rizvi, New York City, NY.

Fatima Rizvi graduated with a Masters of Architecture in 2009 from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 2004. She is currently interning at Mutuus Studio, an architecture firm, and World Monuments Fund, a non-profit historic preservation organization. As an intern at Mutuus studio, Fatima has been assisting in high-end residential renovations. At the World Monuments Fund she writes about the history and the conservation projects of important architectural sites being carried out by the organization around the world. Both internships have heightened her interests in becoming more involved with renovation and historic preservation work. She has always been interested in working with communities in need and non-profit organizations to provide architectural and design solutions. As a student she studied and was inspired by the socially conscious architecture of Hassan Fathy for an underprivileged society and traveled to Brazil to participate in a design-build program, constructing basic infrastructure for a favela, a Portuguese term used for a shanty town. She is working on creating a career path where she can gain technical and practical experience at an architecture firm, participate in humanitarian design, and collaborate with other creative individuals on art projects that engage the public.

The Sustainable Event Committee is responsible for ensuring continuous “greening” of every aspect of Spring Greening event. INTERESTED IN JOINING THIS COMMITTEE? Email us today!

Become the next Spring Greening Manager!

2010-09-10T23:47:55-05:00

Dear all,

We hope that you have had a wonderful summer wherever you are!

We have an exciting agenda for Historic Green's fourth annual Spring Greening in New Orleans next March 2011! For now, there are a few important announcements we'd like to share with you:

This past July 2010, the Historic Green Board Retreat took place in Kansas City, where the new 2010-2012 Board members were announced and strategic goal-setting for the next three years was established in order to enhance our current event and initiate the planning of future ones in other distressed communities across the world. With that said, we are pleased to announce Brennan Crawford as Historic Green's new Spring Greening Director!

As we move forward with our planning stages, we encourage you to join our efforts! Historic Green is currently offering six new leadership opportunities available: Spring Greening Managers.

Please take a look at the Application Packet.
Also, take a few minutes to read a letter from Brennan Crawford: Letter from Spring Greening Director.

Also, stay tuned, our new and improved website is coming soon!! If you have any questions, comments, etc, please do not hesitate to contact us at volunteer@historicgreen.org

2010-09-10T12:35:10-05:00

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B87KVSTqiqkqMTM1MTlhMzctYjdmMC00ZmNjLTg0YTQtY2RhMzZjMDQwNjhl&hl=en&pli=1

Dear friends of Historic Green,

I hope you had a great summer! As we move into a gorgeous fall, the time to begin planning
New Orleans Spring Greening 2011 is already upon us. I am writing today to ask for your help.
Historic Green needs committed leaders to step up, roll up your sleeves, and take up the
challenge to make Spring Greening 2011 the best one yet. Over the next few weeks, we will
be asking six dedicated volunteers to step into highly responsible and really rewarding roles
as Spring Greening Committee Managers. These six folks will lead teams charged with the
hard work that goes into making Spring Greening happen each year.

We know these roles will ask a lot of the volunteers who take them on, but they are sure to be
rewarding. Spring Greening Managers will have all the support they need from the Spring
Greening Director, Historic Green board, and all of the other hardworking volunteers and
partners that make Spring Greening so amazing each year. Spring Greening Managers will
also be eligible to receive a partial travel stipend if they need it.

If you are interested in taking a leadership role in this year's Spring Greening, please follow
https://docs.google.com/fileview ?
id=0B87KVSTqiqkqMDg2NjEwZjMtZTZlYi00N2JhLWI5ZTgtOWJlNmJmNjQyZmEy&hl=en to
full descriptions of the Manager positions available and the function of the teams they will
lead. To apply to be a 2011 Spring Greening Manager, please complete the application posted
at the link, and follow the instructions on the first page to submit it. We will stop accepting
applications at September 22 2010, 5PM EST. We expect a lot of interest, so please submit your
application as soon as you can. Because we expect quite a few applicants, we may only be
able to reply to the candidates we think are the best fit for the positions currently posted. If
we don't contact you about a manager position, don't worry; there are going to be lots of
ways to get involved with Spring Greening this year, and we will keep you all posted on
opportunities as they arise. If you have any questions, please contact Brennan Crawford, 2011
Spring Greening Director, at volunteer@historicgreen.org.

Thanks!
BC

Historic Green’s mission is to assist in and lead in the transformation and restoration of distressed communities
through education and service activities focusing on heritage conservation and sustainable design.

Historic Green announces the 2010-2012 Board Members!

2010-08-03T00:50:34-05:00

This past July 2010, the Historic Green Board Retreat took place in Kansas City, where the new 2010-2012 Board members were announced and strategic goal-setting for the next three years was established in order to enhance our current event and initiate the planning of future ones in other distressed communities across the world. I am pleased to announce the 2010-2012 Historic Green Board members:

Heather Stafford Gay, Chair, Historic Green Executive Board

Dunwoody College of Technology. St Louis Park, Minnesota
Heather has been involved with Historic Green since she first heard the announcement on an Emerging Green Builders Local Leaders call in 2007. She loves her husband, her bicycle, and her dog very much. She does not like mowing the lawn, but enjoys pulling weeds. Heather hopes to see Historic Green in cities all over the country, but she’s not sure what that means exactly.

Jeremy Knoll, Past Chair, Historic Green Executive Board

PGAV Architects, Kansas City, Missouri

Historic Green Co-Founder

Jeremy, LEED® AP, helped to establish the Kansas City EGB committee in 2005, and quickly expanded his involvement as a volunteer leader with the USGBC at local, regional, and national levels, serving for 2 years on the Emerging Green Builders National Committee. He was inspired in early 2007 to take action on behalf of the Lower 9th Ward following a local presentation about the struggle of the community leaders to meet tough personal climate goals while rebuilding their homes. His favorite muppets are Statler and Waldorf, though he identifies most with Kermit.

Sara Nordstrom, Vice Chair, Historic Green Executive Board
New Jersey

Sara holds an M.Arch from New Jersey School of Architecture + Design at NJIT and a B.A. from Rutgers University in Anthropology and Women's & Gender Studies. Following college, she worked for the Center for Women's Global Leadership as the coordinator of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign. There she produced resources for local human rights activists around the world and researched violence against women and sexual and reproductive rights issues. She loved the work but longed to learn a technical skill. On a trip to Botswana, while laying concrete block for a Habitat for Humanity house, she realized she was actually an architect and promptly returned to school at NJIT. Since then, she has sought ways to support community activism with her own passion for design and construction. Sara has been a part of Historic Green since 2008 and she volunteers frequently with From Houses to Homes - Guatemala. Sara is most interested in sustainable architecture, particularly emergency housing and the sustainable rebuilding of regions that have been devastated by natural or man-made disasters worldwide.

Jennifer Gunby, Treasurer, Historic Green Executive Board

GBA Architects + Engineers, Lenexa, Kansas

Jennifer, P.E. LEED® AP is a Civil Engineer at GBA Architects + Engineers in Lenexa, Kansas. There she is the leader of the GBA Energy Studio, specializing in turn-key installations of community scale renewable energy systems. Previously, Jennifer worked in GBA’s Site Development Department where her focus was on sustainable stormwater management. She has been involved with Historic Green since it began as a conversation in Kansas City in 2007. She served as the Project Leader for Rain Gardens during the Spring Greening events in 2008 and 2009 and as the Board Director of Projects in 2009-2010. Outside of work and Historic Green, you can find Jennifer working in the yard, baking in the kitchen, attempting home improvement projects, and eating out to avoid washing dishes at home.

Laura Carrera, Secretary, Historic Green Executive Board

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Texas at San Antonio
Founder and Chair, Historic Preservation Association, University of Texas at San Antonio

While growing up in Nicaragua, Laura witnessed a multitude of poor living conditions from a very early age. This awareness triggered in her to resolve habitable spaces by furthering her education with a Masters in Architecture and Historic Preservation from the University of Texas at San Antonio. However, she is convinced that the experience of being in a classroom and later becoming a professional is not enough to make a difference in struggling communities such as New Orleans. She first became involved with Historic Green as a volunteer, and later served as the Board Director of Volunteers in 2009-2010. She is excited about Historic Green’s endless possibilities for rehabilitation projects in other distressed communities across the world. She currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant and recently spent a summer working at the World Monuments Fund.

Brennan Crawford, Historic Green Board
Kansas City, Missouri
Brennan is a Kansas City native currently working as an independent nonprofit program development consultant. He has worked for nearly a decade to improve access to quality housing, jobs, and social services in low-income communities in the KC metro. Brennan holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in community economic development and green affordable housing development.

Emily Kildow, Historic Green Board
Viridian Energy & Environmental, LLC, New York City
Past Chair, Emerging Green Builders, New York Chapter
Emily, LEED® AP+BD&C, discovered her passion for sustainability through her travels for courses and alternative spring breaks in college. Born and raised in Colorado, Emily also studied Interior Design and Construction Management at Colorado State University where she started the Fort Collins Emerging Green Builders Group, a USGBC committee of students and young professionals. Eager to explore a new arena in life, she packed up and move to NYC to work at an Interior Architecture firm. Still keeping her affiliation with the Emerging Green Builders, Emily joined the EGBNY committee with three people, which soon grew to 30. As her involvement grew with the green building world, Emily switched career paths and began working for Viridian Energy & Environmental, LLC as a Sustainability Consultant. Emily was later elected to the EGB National Committee where she became acquainted with EGBers from all over the country including the founders of Historic Green. Ms. Kildow is excited to see Historic Green and is proud to be a part of such a socially conscience organization.

Want to get involved? Join our effort to build positive momentum in the communities that need us most!

Contact us at volunteer@historicgreen.org

2010-07-19T08:58:04-05:00

5200 Dauphine continues to be framed. On rainy days, the construction crews retreat to the mill shop where they work with 100+ year old lumber on fabricating tongue & groove floor boards and assemble the wood windows for the building.

2010-07-19T08:56:49-05:00

5200 Dauphine continues to be framed. On rainy days, the construction crews retreat to the mill shop where they work with 100+ year old lumber on fabricating tongue & groove floor boards and assemble the wood windows for the building.

2010-07-19T08:55:47-05:00

5200 Dauphine continues to be framed. On rainy days, the construction crews retreat to the mill shop where they work with 100+ year old lumber on fabricating tongue & groove floor boards and assemble the wood windows for the building.

5200 Dauphine Update

2010-07-06T09:26:02-05:00

5200 Dauphine BEFORE - A double-shotgun camelback, abandoned before the storm and collapsing on itself.

Historic Green volunteers helped to deconstruct, denail, clean, stack, sort, and organize the century-old building materials: 50% of the exterior weatherboards and 75% of the interior materials were salvaged!



5200 Dauphine TODAY - A LEED Platinum (anticipated) building, constructed by the New Orleans Preservation Resource Center's Operation Comeback (a longtime Historic Green partner), to serve as the Neighborhood Association HQ, the home offices of the Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development, a rentable upstairs apartment, and coffee shop with outdoor gardens/patio is under construction. Substantial completion is set for late summer, just a few weeks following the 5-year anniversary of the hurricanes that devastated this great neighborhood. This new building will carefully echo the historic character of the neigbhoring buildings as well as the structure it replaces. The structure also uses many of the reclaimed historic wood materials from the original building for items such as windows, floors, and some of the framing. New, green, materials have also been woven into the story these materials will tell: FSC lumber, BluWood, reflective metail roofing, recycled aggregate, slag and flyash concrete, and much more! So far, the construction process has diverted all but ONE GARBAGE BAG from going to landfill. The building will use nearly 50% less water and 50% less energy than an equivalent commercial structure, will be quickly recoverable/occupiable after any future flooding, and will serve as a green-building technology showcase for residents and visitors alike!

Preservation Green Lab Partners on New Energy Code Framework

2010-05-19T16:48:40-05:00

Curious about what we’ve been up to lately in our Seattle-based Preservation Green Lab? Check out this post on the blog Worldchanging by Julia Levitt, who writes about our work with the city of Seattle and New Buildings Institute on outcome-based energy codes.

Most cities and states have prescriptive energy codes, which require certain energy efficiency elements in major renovations or new construction – like insulation or windows with a particular efficiency rating. It turns out these codes do a poor job of encouraging owners to retrofit their commercial buildings; their “one size fits all” approach often doesn’t recognize the inherent strengths and weaknesses of individual buildings, and can create challenges for historic buildings in particular by prescribing changes that can compromise historic character. Prescriptive codes also tend to squelch innovation because they don’t allow for new approaches to energy reduction.

via blogs.nationaltrust.org

May is National Preservation Month in the US!

2010-05-05T09:56:56-05:00

A brief article about combining historic preservation with green design: Historically Green Article

EARTH DAY UPDATE

2010-04-22T12:48:14-05:00

Happy 40th (b)Earth-Day! Historic Green's Board of Directors is delving into strategic planning, discussing the next steps of the organization, and gathering feedback and photos from our fantastic volunteers and leaders about our latest Spring Greening New Orleans event. We are developing the Annual Report, which will summarize our success to-date, with highlights and metrics about the great work completed in the Lower 9 in March.

We want to take a moment to express our gratitude and appreciation for the community leaders who continue to strive to achieve the exciting environmental goals for their neighborhood's future - becoming carbon neutral by 2020 and climate neutral by 2030. And a special thank-you to the late Pam Dashiell, who continues to provide inspiration to carry on with the great work we are honored to be a part of.

During Spring Greening, one of our partner projects, which Historic Green volunteers have assited with for 3 years in-a-row, broke ground on the Neighborhood Association and Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development's new (LEED-Platinum targeted) HeadQuarters! The contracts have all been signed and the project construction is moving foreword quickly, with a goal to build as much as possible before the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, with an admirable prioritization of quality over schedule. The Preservation Resource Center's Operation Comeback is leading the charge to create a green facility on the site of a historic building, combining materials salvaged from the building that was carefully removed from the site with new sustainable materials.

Happy Earth Day, wherever you are! Please check back with us, and we'd love to have you join our GOOGLE GROUP (http://groups.google.com/group/historic-green?lnk=iggc) for more updates to come!

-Jeremy Knoll

Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board

Thank you to all Volunteers!

2010-03-28T19:45:15-05:00

Dear Friends and Volunteers of Historic Green,
The aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought New Orleans to its knees. Homes, schools, and playgrounds were left abandoned as hope was taken from its people. What were once vibrant tunes of jazz became a cry out for help.
Today, New Orleans has a million reasons to smile! One of them is the increasing number of volunteers and community members working hand in hand to rebuild the most struggling neighborhoods in the city.
It is for that reason that Historic Green wants to thank you for joining us during our third Spring Greening event this March 2010! Making the following accomplishments in only 10 days could not have been possible without you:
The Lower Ninth Ward Village: Windows were repaired and replaced. A drop ceiling and insulation was installed. Outdoor security lighting was installed.
Bayou Overlook: 7 benches were constructed and placed around the Bayou Overlook. A new pea gravel pathway was installed. Trashcans were painted with art and a roof was added to the informational kiosk.

Delery Street Playground: The playground structure was repaired and sealed. A reclaimed tire ladder was added. Fence and playground timbers were repaired. Two solar powers lights were installed. Empty homes surrounding the park were cleaned out and boarded up.

Rain Gardens: 10 Residential rain gardens were constructed. Repairs and replanting was completed at the Delery Street Playground rain garden.

Homes: 5 Preservation Resource Center homes were worked on in various stages of gutting and deconstruction. Additional work was performed at the PRC warehouse to sort salvaged materials. 10 occupied homes recommended by the CSED and Alliance 4 Affordable Energy were repaired and insulated.
Great job Volunteers!

*Please fill out the Historic Green 2010 Survey to help us understand what went well, what didn't go so well, and what we can do better for our 2011 event!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HistoricGreen2010

*Check out our event photos and share yours!
3 Easy Steps:
1. Click http://www.flickr.com/groups/historicgreen10/
2. Next to Group Pool, click Join to become a member of HistoricGreen10 (If you do not have a yahoo account, sign-up takes less than a minute!)
3. Once you are signed in, click on "Add Something?" to upload your photos!

Groundbreaking for CSED's New Sustainability Center

2010-03-17T20:47:00-05:00

Thursday was a big day for Historic Green, the Preservation Resource Center (PRC) and the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development with the groundbreaking ceremony for CSED's new Sustainablity Center for Holy Cross.

Designed to be LEED Platinum, the reconstructed historic structure at 5200 Dauphine (Dauphine & Lizardi) is scheduled for substantial completion by August 29, 2010.

Left: Pam Bryan of PRC outlines the chief preservation and sustainability goals of the project. Right: Jeremy Knoll (PGAV Architects), Bill Waiters (HCNA), Julie Kaminski and Wayne Troyer (Studio WTA), Ryan Evans (Henderson Engineers), and Bill Dupont (UT-San Antonio) break ground.

Historic Green Day 8: Green Spaces

2010-03-17T14:42:00-05:00

The Sierra Club's Darryl Malek-Wiley works with volunteers to build a roof over the information kiosk for Bayou Bienvenue.

Wow!

2010-03-16T18:18:01-05:00

Spring Greening 2010 is becoming a wonderful success! I feel humbled to know just how much talent has manifested in a single spot for such an intense burst of energy! We owe a special thanks to the network of leaders and planners and partners, nationwide and growing, for providing such a well thought out experience. While far from perfect, Historic Green is approaching a critical mass at a critical time. Please join our drive to help a neighborhood on the mend, preserving cultural heritage sustainably.

Jeremy Knoll
Historic Green
Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Volunteer

Historic Green Day 7: Restoring a Dream

2010-03-16T14:20:00-05:00

Historic Green's Volunteer Coordinator Laura Carrera (of UT-San Antonio) briefs a new group of volunteers on their projects for the day.

Volunteers from the Historic Preservation and Restoration Techology program at College of the Redwoods (Eureka, CA) work to re-paint and reconstruct the entire facade of a historic home at 1226 Gordon.

Historic Green Day 6: Ready for Another Week!

2010-03-15T14:18:00-05:00

PHOTO: Siri Colom

Historic Green Day 5: Wrapping Up the Week

2010-03-13T19:29:00-06:00

Smitty begins his tour of the Lower Ninth Ward with volunteers.

PHOTO: Siri Colom

Watering a brand new rain garden on N. Rampart Street.

Contractor Ryan Haugaard (of Abacus Design Build in Manhattan, KS) describes his work to restore a two-story historic house at 616 Caffin over the last week.

PHOTO: Siri Colom

Curt Rohner and his crew rest up after finishing up a radiant barrier installation and repairs at 1224 Gordon - job well done!

Historic Green Day 4: Still More Projects!

2010-03-12T18:11:00-06:00

PHOTOS (above): Siri Colom

Installing radiant barriers on St. Claude Avenue.

Tuck-pointing the brick work for a double shotgun on Tricou. Restoration from start to finish!

Historic Green Day 3: More Projects!

2010-03-11T17:18:20-06:00

Working at the Delery Street playground.

Greening up a house on Tricou.

Volunteers from SUNY-Buffalo take a break from installing radiant barriers in the home of Don Edwards on St. Claude.

Attending the Holy Cross Neighborhood Assn. meeting at Greater Little Zion Baptist Church - a true exercise in democracy!

USGBC's Rick Fedrizzi Pays Historic Green a Visit

2010-03-10T20:53:00-06:00

U.S. Green Building Council CEO Rick Fedrizzi is in New Orleans to see green developments on the ground - including Historic Green's community-wide work in the Lower Ninth Ward. Rick spoke to a packed house at All Souls Episcopal Church on St. Claude, with HG volunteers, neighborhood residents, USGBC and AIA members and many other green advocates from across New Orleans in attendance.

His message:
"Looking at the idea that these houses have historic value, both in the context of the building itself but most importantly in the context of the people. If walls could talk... And I think when you put people first, you have to realize that this is what this whole green building movement is all about. We talk about energy and water and waste and transportation, carbon neutrality and so forth. At the end of the day, what we really are talking about are the people inside these buildings and how valuable it is to have children in schools that have the advantage of a green building; how we have the ability for our elderly to be in hospitals that have the advantage of a green building: clean air, daylight, great thermal comfort, on-toxic materials, the ability to heal better, and the ability to want to get back to your life. That's one of the most important things that we can remember here today.

"What we really have to remember is the people whose lives were changed forever by Hurricane Katrina. The people here, whose homes and lives were ripped out from under them, the loss of their sense of security, the connection with community was severed, their health was compromised, their history was altered forever."

PHOTO: Darryl Malek-Wiley

Charles Allen (right), director of the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development and a former USGBC board member, presents Rick Fedrizzi with his very own Holy Cross t-shirt.

Historic Green Day 2: Projects!

2010-03-10T15:36:42-06:00

Volunteers from SUNY-Buffalo are restoring the bank of windows along the front of the Lower 9th Ward Village - re-caulking, cleaning, replacing temporary plexiglas panes with glass, and then adding solar film to minimize heat gain during the hot summer months.

Ryan Haugaard (of Manhattan, Kansas) and his crew rebuild the back of a two-story double shotgun in Holy Cross - took it all down, reconstructing it greener.

PHOTO: Darryl Malek-Wiley

Working on the rain garden at Delery Street playground - thanks to students from SUNY-Buffalo!

Meet James Lewis of the Lower Ninth Ward. Crews are working on his home (radiant barriers) at 1224 Gordon and the house next door (re-sheathing the exterior) to make them far more energy efficient. Mr. Lewis and his family were able to return to the Lower 9 about 1 1/2 years after Katrina - doing most of the repairs and rebuilding himself.

Historic Green Day 1: Prepped and Ready

2010-03-09T14:56:00-06:00

The Lower 9th Ward Village: Our home and center of operations for the next 10 days!

Rain garden and reconstruction materials - ready for a project!

John Williams of Williams Architects offers an orientation of the Lower 9th Ward - before and after Katrina - and the amazing story of a neighborhood building back green.

Curt Rohner of Historic Green provides safety training to our first group of volunteers working this week.

Jenny Poole of USGBC interviews Lower 9 resident John Taylor for the Council's new podcast series.

Spring Greening 2010 Kicks Off!

2010-03-09T11:27:18-06:00

PHOTO: Sara Nordstrom

Volunteers and staff are assembled at the Lower 9th Ward Village, 9:30 a.m., ready for two weeks of projects to help rebuild Holy Cross and the Lower Ninth Ward - green houses, green spaces, green community!

2010-03-04T14:33:52-06:00

Hello Historic Green volunteers! Historic Green Spring Greening is just a week away and I cannot begin to express my excitement!

Have you taken a look at our Volunteers Manual? This includes a suggested packing list, a section on safety, facts about Historic Green and New Orleans, maps, schedules, project descriptions, construction guidelines, preservation and restoration guidelines, construction procedures, and waivers to be filled out.
If you are volunteering with us this year, there are two waivers found in the Volunteer Manual that we need you to read and sign as well. Our preference is that you sign it and email the scanned waiver back to us at volunteer@historicgreen.org, but if you bring a copy with you on your check in day, we’ll take that.

To view the Volunteer Manual, click below: http://www.historicgreen.org/downloads/Historic_Green_Volunteer_Manual_2010.pdf
(You can also access it at our website www.historicgreen.org under "Join Us in NOLA"

Quick facts:
Headquarters is the Lower Ninth Ward Village at
1001 Charbonnet St New Orleans, LA
Arrive on your first day at 9am.
Parking is limited onsite at the Village
Do not park in the gated area.
On street parking is available but be respectful of residents and their homes - try to stagger your parking, or take public transit and carpool! We have a carpool board onsite if you want to utilize.
Bring with you:
ID
Signed waivers
Water bottle
Work gloves
Hardhat (if you have one)
Safety vest (if you have one)
Goggles / protective eyewear (if you have it)

See you in NOLA!

Weekend Fundraising Festivities

2010-02-26T08:58:54-06:00

Kansas City, MO

Where: The Levee

16 W 43rd St

Kansas City, MO

When: 5:30-7:30 Feb. 26th

Cost: Suggested donation $5

Washington DC

Where: AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center & Jackie's Restaurant
When: 5:45-10:00 Feb. 27th

For details click here.

San Antonio, TX

Where: Rita's on the Riverwalk

245 East Commerce

St San Antonio, TX

When: 7-11 Feb. 26th

Cost: $20 at the door

For details click here.

DC-Area Fundraiser for Historic Green: February 27th!

2010-02-25T13:23:30-06:00

CALLING ALL DC-AREA NEW ORLEANS FANS: COME OUT TO CELEBRATE & SUPPORT THE SUSTAINABLE REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS’ LOWER 9th WARD

Climate change-related disasters continue to devastate communities around the globe, but your fellow Americans in New Orleans are still recovering from Katrina four years later. As they try to rebuild their homes and lives, please let them know you haven’t forgotten about them.

JOIN US on February 27 for a special screening at AFI Silver and New Orleans-style party following at Jackie’s Restaurant.

Screening: MINE - Directed by Geralyn Rae Pezanoski at AFI Silver Theatre, Silver Spring, MD, Saturday, February 27, 5:45 p.m.

General Admission: $10 AFI Members: $8.50; Students (With Valid I.D.) & Seniors (65+):$9.00 BUY TICKETS

Party: Jackie’s Restaurant, Silver Spring, 8–10:00 p.m. New Orleans party to follow screening. Join us for New Orleans cuisine, music by J.P. McDermott and a Silent Auction. $5 donation requested at the door, $10 buffet option. All proceeds will go directly to the New Orleans sustainable rebuilding event Historic Green.
via www.troublethewaterfilm.com

Making a Difference: Historic Green's Ryan Evans & Jeremy Knoll

2010-02-25T10:26:07-06:00

Great new piece in NTHP's March/April 2010 issue of Preservation Magazine now out - and featuring our own Ryan Evans and Jeremy Knoll!

By Lindsey M. Roberts

Ryan Evans, 32, and Jeremy Knoll, 28, worked in Kansas—three states and 300 miles away from Louisiana. But when the friends learned that residents of New Orleans' Holy Cross neighborhood wanted to turn their storm-battered enclave into the nation's first carbon-neutral community, they saw an opportunity. In 2008, Evans, a mechanical engineer, and Knoll, an architect, took 350 volunteers to historic Holy Cross to restore and green homes. Their sustainable preservation efforts proved so successful that they incorporated a nonprofit called Historic Green, which helps dozens of neighbors retrofit their residences and save on energy bills each year. Historic Green volunteers also refurbish old windows, teach restoration techniques, and install innovative vapor barriers that inhibit the growth of mold. Knoll says residents can now afford to maintain energy-efficient homes—and pass them along to their kids: "They're no longer priced out of their own neighborhood." Both entrepreneurs hope that communities around the world will benefit from their success. "Our model isn't being repeated anywhere on this scale," Evans says. "We hope to change that."

via www.preservationnation.org

Essay on the NOLA comeback by the Ragin' Cajun James Carville

2010-02-15T12:16:33-06:00

New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- In September of 2005, no one could have anticipated what we saw in New Orleans last week. What happened on the football field and parade route after the Saints' Super Bowl victory is amazing and uplifting. But what's happening elsewhere in New Orleans also rises to that standard.

For more click here.

Historic Green in Eco-Structure Magazine

2010-02-08T14:14:21-06:00

Check out Historic Green featured in Eco-Structure Magazine here. Historic Green Chair and Co-founder Jeremy Knoll is interviewed about HG discussing why we exists and where we are going.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

2010-02-02T13:30:59-06:00

Historic Green needs your help! We have just 2 weeks to attain the most votes on Brighter Planet in order to receive a $5000 Grant for our upcoming Spring Greening event in New Orleans! This is an extremely easy way to help out with an event that provides exciting volunteer opportunities in the Lower 9th Ward – without leaving your chair! Please take 3-to-5 minutes to register and vote three times using the information below. Thanks for your help – we can’t do it without you!
The Brighter Planet Project Fund seeks to foster local leadership and seed worthy community projects that will help people fight or adapt to climate change. Help Historic Green secure a $5,000 grant by voting for us at here , then encouraging your friends to do the same.
Details
Registration with Brighter Planet is required in order to vote.
Each person with a Brighter Planet profile will be allotted 3 votes per voting period.
The project with the most votes at the close of a voting period receive a grant.
Voting period closes on February 15th.
What can Historic Green do with $5,000?
· Weatherize 20 Homes
· Light a Community Park with Solar Power Lighting
· Finish a Community Center providing space for Children’s After School Programs
· Add Benches, a Pathway and Signage at a Bayou Overlook
· Build 10 Rain Gardens
· Help one New Orleans neighborhood rebuild as the nation’s first carbon neutral community.
For more information regarding Historic Green, go to www.historicgreen.org.
For more information about Brighter Planet, go to www.brighterplanet.org.

5200 Dauphine piece on PreservationNation.org

2010-01-29T13:24:42-06:00

Historic Green's signature project, 5200 Dauphine, is featured today on PreservationNation.org To see the full piece go here.

Registration Now Live For Historic Green 2010!

2010-01-25T17:45:00-06:00

Registration is now open for this year's 2010 Historic Green event, March 9 to 19. Follow this link to secure your place at this year's event in New Orleans: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=196930
HISTORIC GREEN SPRING GREENING PROJECTS 2010:

Aid in the construction of a new LEED® Platinum facility to house the new offices of The Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development (CSED)

Partner with Lower Ninth homeowners to green their properties: weatherization, radiant barriers, and other measures

Continue renovations at the Lower 9th Ward Village

Design and install demonstration rain gardens throughout the Lower Ninth Ward

Restore a tupelo cypress ecosystem at Bayou Bienvenue and restore public spaces around the Bayou

Continue improvement efforts at the Delery Street Playground – the only working playground in Holy Cross

Conduct educational workshops throughout the 11-day period to train residents and volunteers the tenets of sustainable preservation

Provide Holy Cross neighborhood/Lower Ninth architectural tours for volunteers

We’ll be sending out updates once a week until the event, letting you know what we're working on and what you need to know before you travel down to help out!

Connect with Historic Green: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn

2010-01-23T23:33:00-06:00

Become a Facebook fan of Historic Green @ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Historic-Green/40412661519?ref=ts

Follow Historic Green on Twitter @ http://www.twitter.com/historicgreen

Join our LinkedIn group @ http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=92909&trk=hb_side_g

Counting down

2010-01-22T18:00:04-06:00

It's January 22. In a little over a month, I will be in New Orleans with Historic Green for year 3. I am not always a fan of numbers, but when it comes to things like Historic Green, I'm okay with them --- most of the time. Although now that we are truly on the end of our planning time and more into the reaction time, I start to stay awake at night thinking of things to do, things I want to do in New Orleans, people to connect with, restaurants to try (or to re-visit ---- Anisa is definitely taking me to Slim Goody again).
This year feels different for me. I think it has to do with the wonderful group of volunteer leaders we have doing so much. Jennifer Gunby, Laura Carrera, and Caroline Davenport have all been involved with Historic Green for a while - they were with us in 2009, and (in Jennifer's case, 2008), and this year have taken on such leadership roles, I go to bed feeling more like I don't have enough to do because they're doing so much.
I've got things I want to do in NOLA that I always say I am going to do: take a yoga class, go to church (did that this summer), sleep in, stay up late, all that fun stuff. And if I do none of those things, it's okay, really it is. The days move so quickly between now and March, and it's great to think of the things I want to do, but I know a lot more about the things I will end up doing: cry, laugh, have a cocktail with Pam Bryan, thank people, feel grateful and blessed to hear people's stories.
My students are planning a fundraising party soon. I keep thinking of all the fun things that I will get to share with them in New Orleans --- their first trip to DBA, a crawfish boil, Glen David Andrews Band, coffee and my gratitude, and I'm truly looking forward to seeing New Orleans through their eyes for the first time.

HG in 2009 and 2010

2010-01-05T18:41:52-06:00

This time of year seems to require a lot of reflection. Some look back at just the last year, others the last decade. I seem to spend a lot of time in early December, 1862. I know it seems like a bit of a stretch but hold on with me. It was a cold year in America. Civil War was raging and not even a year old. The outcome was seriously in doubt and Lincoln had just issued the first of his Proclamations of Emancipation. Addressing Congress Lincoln said:

               “We can succeed only by concert. It is not "can any of us imagine better?" but, "can we all do better?" The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise -- with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

“The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.” Lincoln is still speaking to each of us. We just have to listen.

I’ve been trying to listen more and talk less. I spent the early part of December in New Orleans with friends and neighbors mourning the passing and celebrating the life of our friend Pam Dashiell. In between the funeral and the neighborhood Christmas Party I had a lot of time to just wander around Holy Cross and talk to old friends. We talked about Katrina, life afterwards, issues with the handicapped ramps at MLK Elementary and the things that you talk about when you’re walking the levee watching the Manitowac work its trade on the Mississippi. Then I spent some time searching for interviews Pam had given throughout the years. Pam made it onto NPR a few times in 2005 and 2006 discussing issues with the neighborhood coming back, soil contamination and the things that you do when you’re fighting for what you love. It was good to hear her voice. It reminds me of how far we have come.

It has been one more year. The ending of the year brought the 1,586^th day since Katrina. Time can seem to pass all too quickly and change comes all too slowly. From time to time we have to stop and really look back to see that we are making progress.

In the last 365 days we’ve seen a lot of change in Holy Cross and the Lower Ninth Ward. MRGO has been deemed the disaster we all know it was and rightfully closed (in theory but not action). The Army Corp of Engineers has been told that many of the issues leading to flooding of NOLA were squarely on their shoulders. The contest to seek new leadership at City Hall has begun and we are guaranteed a new face and hopefully a clear direction for continuing the rebirth of the Crescent City.

Yet, in all things we must not only look to why things went wrong but how we can rise above static and look forward. More residents spent Christmas in their own home, some for the first time since 2005. New Orleans is forecasted to be one of the best housing markets in 2010. New Orleans and Louisiana in general have seen a significantly lower rate of unemployment measured against the national average. The questions around rebuilding in New Orleans and the Lower Ninth Ward no longer orbit around ‘if we should’ but ‘what barriers in new building can we break in the process.’

We’ve also seen a lot of change in Historic Green. We have achieved autonomy with our own 501(c)3 status as a non-profit. Elected our first official Board of Directors led by Jeremy Knoll. We brought over 400 volunteers down to Lower Nine for our second annual two week rebuild. Working with the Preservation Resource Center we designed and began the process of constructing the first LEED Platinum commercial building in Louisiana, a home for our partners at the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. Finally, we ended the year financially in the black. A remarkable feat unto itself and one we need your help to continue by donating here (http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=195488)

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has been a part of our work in New Orleans. There are just too many to list them here. I wrote this letter with the help of Glen David Andrews album ‘Walking Through Heaven’s Gate.’ I recommend it to everyone.

WE ARE OFFICIAL

2009-12-18T17:05:59-06:00

Dear Historic Green family,
We are pleased to announce that Historic Green has received our letter of determination from the IRS, and we have been approved as a 501c3 not for profit!

We are also including the link for donations!

Best,
Historic Green

Remembering Pam Dashiell in Gambit Weekly

2009-12-09T15:11:10-06:00

DECEMBER 7, 2009

Remembering Pam Dashiell

The community activist was a force for recovery in the Lower 9th Ward and Holy Cross neighborhoods

BY DAVID WINKLER-SCHMIT

With the support of good people and the resilience of brave people, it seems like anything can be accomplished. Sustain the Nine. — Pamela Dashiell

Friends say community activist Pam Dashiell lived these words and was an unwavering force for rebuilding the Lower 9th Ward and the historic Holy Cross neighborhood. With her passing last week, New Orleans lost a tireless fighter who wasn't interested in just restoring her community to what it was before the federal flood, but improving it. Dashiell died Dec. 1 at her computer, working for her neighborhood up to the very end.

Kathy Muse, a longtime friend and neighbor of Dashiell's, says Dashiell was always active in her neighborhood before the flood, but afterwards it was as if she "stepped up and out of herself.

"She put the Lower Ninth Ward, along with many others, on the map," Muse says.

With Hurricane Katrina approaching the city, Dashiell evacuated to St. Louis, Mo., with her daughter, but by October 2005, she was commuting daily from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Linda Santi, a neighbor who lived with Dashiell in Baton Rouge, says Dashiell would do simple reconnaissance of her devastated community: who had returned, who hadn't, and what could be done. As president of the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association, she enlisted others to help in the cause.

One of those was Charles E. Allen III, a former HCNA president who now chairs the association's board. "It was right after Katrina, October '05. She said, 'Charles, I'm so glad you're back in town,'" Allen says with a laugh. "She said, 'Now look, our vice president isn't coming back to the city, so I need a vice president — and you're it.'"

In the early days of the storm's aftermath, Dashiell and others worked tirelessly defending Lower 9th Ward residents' right to return when some urban planners suggested the neighborhood should not be rebuilt. After winning that initial battle, Dashiell focused her efforts on getting people back into their homes. In November 2006, she founded the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (CSED), which helps returning residents get building materials and training to construct more sustainable and energy efficient houses.

Dashiell ran CSED out of a small office in back of the Greater Little Zion Baptist Church on Chartres Street in the Lower 9, but her expertise was recognized nationally. Just three weeks ago, she was invited to the White House to be part of a discussion group on the environment and public health with Lisa Jackson, director of the Environmental Protection Agency and a New Orleans native.

Dashiell, 61, grew up in Roxbury, Mass., but she had familial roots here. As a young girl, her grandmother would tell her stories of New Orleans, where her great-grandmother had lived as a free woman of color during the Civil War. When Dashiell moved here more than 20 years ago, Santi says, she wasn't disappointed in the reality. "She had a wicked wit, just a beautiful sense of humor, and she enjoyed the absurdity of life in New Orleans," Santi says.

In addition to her service with HCNA and the CSED, Dashiell was a founding member of Citizens Against the Widening of the Industrial Canal; a former program coordinator for the Louisiana Bucket Brigade Holy Cross/Lower 9th Ward Initiative and board member of Smartgrowth Louisiana, the Alliance for Affordable Energy and the National Center for Community Health and Research. She also was a member of the New Orleans Neighborhood Conservation District Committee.

Dashiell is survived by a daughter, Alisa Leslie Dashiell-Sanchez, son-in-law, Roland Sanchez Jr. and a granddaughter, Rianne Caelynn Sanchez.

A memorial tribute and burial service took place before press time. Donations in Dashiell's memory can be made to the Lower 9th Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. Checks should be payable to Teagras Helping Hands, marked for CSED, 5130 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA, 70117.

Pam Dashiell's passing

2009-12-09T15:05:18-06:00

An open letter read on behalf of Historic Green at Pam's Friday memorial service.

We all lost a friend today.

Pam Dashiell served as Co-Director of the Holy Cross Neighborhoods Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development, she was a former Holy Cross Neighborhood President, a tireless advocate for her community and a good and dear friend

Those of us who knew her will remember her laugh, her stories and the heart with which she greeted every one of us. She was an ambassador for New Orleans and the Lower Ninth to the world.

Pam was an unlikely hero. She did not ask for fame but when the light was on her she acted as a servant leader.

Pam was an unlikely hero. She fought her battles with words not bullets.

Pam was an unlikely hero. She didn’t put fires out, she built them up in others.

We need more unlikely heroes.

Pam,

We love you.

We miss you.

Welcome home.

-Historic Green

Historic Green in the USGBC's Chapter Newsletter

2009-09-01T19:50:55-05:00

Driving Social Equity in New Orleans: Historic Green 2009

After the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward committed to carbon neutrality by 2020 and climate neutrality by 2030. In an area where 85 percent of buildings are listed in the national or local historic registries, the USGBC-sponsored Historic Green program was a welcome effort.

The aim of Historic Green is to revitalize communities through heritage conservation and sustainable action in a 100 percent volunteer effort. The second annual event was held March 10-20. Volunteers engaged the community in the construction of rain gardens to control run-off, installation of radiant barrier insulation, education sessions on money savings through energy conservation, sustainable deconstruction of buildings beyond repair, and the incorporation of recovered materials into new buildings, among other projects.

Spearheaded by leaders from USGBC’s Emerging Green Builders national committee, the volunteer team doubled from the inaugural year in 2008 to 400 in 2009 – some $600,000 in donated labor. An estimated savings of 752,540 kilowatt hours (or $87,860) was delivered to residents this year. In addition to USGBC, Historic Green also received support from the Make it Right Foundation, Preservation Resource Center, CSED and The Salvation Army.

The program is scheduled for March 9-20 next year and is expected to expand in scope. Ryan Evans, EGB representative to the Chapter Steering Committee, writes, “Our plans call for another 10 years of projects in the most devastated, historic neighborhoods of the city. And we will keep planning if you will keep coming. See you in 2010!”

Elements of Green, and Historic, Buildings

2009-08-24T21:58:15-05:00

Interesting, and relevant, reading from the National Trust For Historic Preservation on balancing green design with the maintenance, or stewardship, of the built environment over the long term. In “Essential – and Often Forgotten – Elements of Green Buildings”, Patrice Frey, director of sustainability research for the National Trust, writes in PreservationNation:
“What isn’t included in LEED – or any other green building rating program that I’m aware of – are measures of longevity. I’m not talking about just the durability of the various components of buildings (which is also extremely important). I’m also concerned about the viability of the building long-term. Is it designed in a way that will be flexible for undetermined future needs? Or is it overly-designed to fit the current occupant’s needs?

And, as Stewart Brandt would ask in his book How Buildings Learn, is the building lovable? (Before you roll your eyes, bear with me.) Is it a building that will stand the test of time? Or is this a building that has been value-engineered to within an inch of its life, without even the slightest bit of architectural merit or interest? Is it a building the people in our field – preservation – will fight to save in 100 years? Or does it have more in common with a strip mall than the quality architecture of our past or present?

The endless destruction and rebuilding of our built environment is simply not sustainable. Longevity is key.”
Great stuff. Read the full blog post here.

Call for Papers: NOLA's Green Rebuilding

2009-08-22T15:38:00-05:00
staff

Progress at 5200 Dauphine: Preserving Green

2009-08-18T11:53:58-05:00

Some of you were present for the kick-off charrette hosted by the Preservation Resource Center during Historic Green's 2009 March event. We discussed an idea that was already a year and a half in the making. The concept of blending sustainable design with the complete reconstruction of an historic building in an historic district is new and developing field in architecture. Partnerships had formed over the year since HG participated in the deconstruction of what was left of 5200 Dauphine. Those partnerships led to the decision that a reconstructed, sustainable and historically appropriate facility would be constructed to serve as the new home of the Center for Sustainable Engagement and the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association.

RENDERING: Ryan Schmidt, UTSA

Since our first charrette in March a design team composed of preservationists, community leaders, architects, contractors and engineers have been working to design the first LEED Platinum project that has the support of the USGBC, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Prince of Wales Foundation and numerous other groups.
The design will incorporate salvaged materials from the deconstructed structure as well as materials from salvaged from throughout the area and beyond. The building will be heated and cooled by a high efficiency Variable Refirgerant Volume system which has been minimized in scale due to the high performance envelope being developed to serve the building.

Construction is slated to begin this winter with completion anticipated for this spring.

Meet Historic Green's Executive Board

2009-08-12T16:02:40-05:00

During our last planning meeting in June the Historic Green Steering Krewe took another major step in becoming a legal non-profit entity. Roles and responsibilities of the elected Executive Board members were discussed and the first Executive Committtee was elected.

Soon, we will be announcing the rest of our Board of Directors, but until then we would like you to meet our Executive Board.

Worldchanging.com: Rebuilding the Crescent City - Green

2009-08-01T17:42:42-05:00

Historic Green board member Anisa Baldwin Metzger just contributed a terrific piece for Worldchanging, titled “How Local Rebuilding Efforts are Working in New Orleans”. As a recent transplant to the Crescent City, she serves as the U.S. Green Building Council's New Orleans Green Building Coordinator. She writes of the city’s incredibly high rebuilding activity, much of it green, and of some of the projects led by the Make It Right Foundation, the Good Work Network, and The Salvation Army’s EnviRenew program to build 125 green, affordable homes and renovate 125 existing homes.

Go here for the full article.

Nice job Anisa!

Historic Green Board Member on CBS's Evening News With Katie Couric

2009-06-19T09:40:40-05:00

Bill Dupont, HG Board Member, has spent the last several years working to preserve the Hemmingway Estate in Cuba just outside Havanna. See Bill as he shows ther estate to CBS and the progress they have made over the last several years.

Watch CBS Videos Online

KU group helps out in Big Easy

2009-03-29T13:24:04-05:00

Excerpted from the Topeka Capital-Journal Online

cjonline.com

By Jan Biles

March 25, 2009

Experience 'greater than yourself,' engineering student says

University of Kansas student James Iliff knew he would be lending a hand to others and the environment when he joined an Engineers Without Borders team going to the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans earlier this month.

But the Topeka native didn’t realize he would be returning to Kansas from the hurricane-ravaged area with a greater understanding of how valuable it is to do “something greater than yourself.”

Iliff was among seven members of KU’s Engineers Without Borders chapter who worked with the Historic Green organization to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in a way to preserve its history while creating a sustainable future.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Iliff, an 18-year-old architectural engineering major. “I was learning how to work on a work site and learning about sustainability and having a volunteer attitude.”

During the Historic Green event, hundreds of students and young professionals in the construction industry merged on the Holy Cross Historic District in the Lower Ninth Ward to help people revitalize the community.

The district became submerged in 10 feet of water after a levee broke during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, displacing nearly 6,000 residents and heavily damaging or destroying many homes, schools, churches and businesses.

“We’re leading a unique grass-roots effort to go the next step to rebuild this historic landmark — this time green,” Pam Dashiell, director of the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development in New Orleans, said in a news release from KU.

On their first day as volunteers, Iliff said his team removed nails from boards in a house that was being deconstructed so the wood could be reused to build other structures.

Throughout the rest of the week, the students custom-cut and installed new “green” insulation in a single-family home.

“I don’t know who lived there or if they’re coming back,” he said.

Engineers Without Borders also has projects in Guatemala and Bolivia. Iliff said he would like to travel to those countries to work on sustainable projects.

Jodi Gentry, president of the EWB chapter, said the team-building experience in New Orleans is “a good way to get a lot of field training without having to make the more expensive trip to Bolivia.”

“The students work with simple technologies, so it’s a way to grasp the classroom-based concepts and apply them to a real-world problem,” Gentry said before the trip. “You can go from this and do internships, but being able to work on all phases of the project really provides a fulfilling experience for the students.”

The team members, Iliff said, paid about $300 to work with Historic Green during the spring break week. A small grant from KU’s Engineering Student Council helped assist with expenses.

“In reality, I was paying for the experience of doing something greater than yourself,” Iliff said. “It’s not just about sustainability, and it’s not just about being green. It’s also about virtue.”

Jan Biles can be reached at (785) 295-1292 or jan.biles@cjonline.com.