Summary: This week, two readers praise James Kienle’s “That Old Building May Be the Greenest on the Block” article, and one questions the need for NOMA, in response to our Doer’s Profile of incoming NOMA President Steven Lewis, AIA.

Re: That Old Building May Be the Greenest on the Block

Good article in AIArchitect.

With all the absurd claims of being "green" and "sustainable," these words are losing their impact and credibility—one unfortunate result of the success of conservationists getting the good message across to the general public, politicians, and building industry. It's getting harder to sort out the wisdom from the whim.

How do we differentiate good conservation practice of leaving well enough alone from merely failing to act, when both evolve from doing less than more? How do we apply LEED® credit for maintaining old mahogany windows instead of replacing them with new aluminum or vinyl?! (EnergyStar advises, "Improved Frame Materials: Wood composites, vinyl, and fiberglass frames reduce heat transfer and help insulate better.") Reward and penalty may be assigned to specific positive and negative acts of intervention, but how do we assign LEED ratings to commendable acts of least intervention? A homeowner or developer may think, “I'll live with this building and not tear it down, or I'll leave this property alone and build somewhere else...give me my reward!”

And what do we make of negative incentives...the raising of taxes and re-regulation of low-developed neighborhoods and properties? FEMA tells me that my small waterfront house is just below the flood plane, and if I spend more than a minimal amount on improvements in order to retire there, the whole property needs to be brought into compliance. The little place isn't worth the cost of lifting it up, and the allowable building area won't permit leaving it alone. If I sell it, the house will surely be torn down, even though it represents the character of what was once a sensible and attractive low- density community. Oversized houses are going up on the second half of former double lots, and small houses are being torn down or expanded to where you can't recognize the original. In places, the waterfront is being walled off by big boxes on small lots. Cities and suburbs alike are suffering from this kind of "over-sprawl"—second- and third-wave over-build. Meanwhile, green advocates tell us high(er) density is good, it preserves open space and consolidates infrastructure...vinyl is energy saving.

To paraphrase you, in our haste to make things lasting, we are losing our heritage. The big picture requires a broader perspective—looking back as well as forward, conserving authenticity as well as BTUs. As architects we are responsible for sustaining the cultural as well as the physical resources. A message of clarity and greater good needs to get across.

—James W. Rhodes, FAIA
Preservation Design
Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

Don’t forget to add that many of these old buildings are also opportunities for hazmat clean-ups! Yes, a knock-down is a “triple hit” loss and a renovation is more than a triple hit win because it:

1. Saves landfill
2. Saves embodied energy
3. Saves money and environmental cost of new material
4. Removes hazardous material (e.g., lead and asbestos)
5. Insulates, adds new window, and installs energy-efficient HVAC
6. Maintains community values
7. Re-instates old natural ventilation techniques
8. Utilizes more local physical labor
9. Takes advantage of good location (often near to town, school, mass transit)
10. Utilizes existing infrastructure . . . . . and the list probably goes on!

In terms of sustainability . . . there is nothing like a good renovation (historic or not) . . . they should all be LEED Gold!

—William Van Ryzin, AIA
Senior Project Manager, Director of Multi-Family Housing
Rosen Group
Summit, N.J.

Re: Doer’s Profile: Steven Lewis, AIA

I am sure I am joined by many in saying that it is a darn shame that an organization like NOMA even has to exist. Architecture is universal. I have seen brilliance in this field my entire 35 years across the board through every culture or "minority" that exists. I have met many and worked with many people not of my "ethnic" persuasion to whom I could not hold a candle. When is this separation going to stop? Let it stop with us.

—Paul A. Mendolia, AIA
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.