OVERVIEW
Conventional wisdom might suggest that structural integrity and other kinds of durability are the keys to designing lasting buildings. Real-world evidence suggests otherwise.
The decision to demolish is typically complicated, emotional, and entwined in local political, social, and economic concerns. It’s often more related to deferred maintenance and occupant dissatisfaction—factors that feed a vicious cycle of long-term building degradation.
One thing is clear, though: the embodied impacts of renovation are usually dramatically lower than the impacts of new construction. Here you’ll learn why this is, some strategies for saving buildings, and how to decide when something is just ready to be torn down.
IN-DEPTH
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Cities Crack Down on Buildings via Performance Standards
News Analysis
Stringent performance standards for existing buildings are a new idea that’s shaking up the industry.
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Resilient Retrofits for Fires, Floods, and Quakes
News Analysis
Resilient design is all very well for new construction, but how do we deal with billions of square feet of existing building stock?
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Dynamic Plaque Piloted as LEED Performance Path
News Analysis
It’s outcomes that matter in the new performance path for certifying existing buildings.
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New EcoDistricts Protocol Aims for Green Building at Scale
News Analysis
Want to get your neighborhood from here to there—where “there” is more social justice, environmental health, and economic growth? You’ll need directions.
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2014 AIA Top Ten Green Winners Highlight Adaptive Reuse
News Analysis
Federal government projects take three of the top honors for 2014 in the AIA Committee on the Environment (COTE) awards, which combine sustainability with design excellence.
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Making the Case for More and Bigger Deep Retrofits
News Analysis
An RMI report details how to calculate the full value of investments in deep energy retrofits and make the case for bigger projects.
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Deep Retrofits Next Market for Struggling Architects
News Analysis
AIA lends business advice to architects facing a down economy: start selling deep energy retrofits.
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Window Film: An Overlooked Retrofit Option?
News Analysis
In mild climates, window film pays for itself faster than more popular retrofits, an industry report argues.
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Feds Say Popular PACE Retrofit Program Is Still Too Risky
News Analysis
A handful of states are picking up PACE, but with FHFA still saying it's too risky, the rest of the nation might have to wait.
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Retrofits (Usually) Greener Than New Construction, Study Says
News Analysis
Building reuse has environmental benefits over new construction, but there are important exceptions and caveats.