Annual Green Supplement
14
December 2020
Four Reasons to Consider Adaptive Reuse and Retrofitting Reducing Your Building’s Carbon Footprint and Saving Money are Just the Beginning
by Blake Jackson To reach net zero carbon, we’re going to have to design new buildings with carbon appetites (embodied and operational) of slim to none. But before we build another building, there’s one carbon-reducing practice that’s worth exploring: taking a serious look at existing buildings. Broadly speaking, when one takes life cycle and embodied carbon into account, there’s nothing greener than a building that already exists. And reducing carbon footprint is just the beginning – there are several good reasons to look at existing buildings in the development of new space. Reason 1: Embodied Carbon and Waste Architecture 2030 research shows the Building Materials and Construction Sector represents 39% of total greenhouse gas emissions. The reuse of existing buildings offers an immense opportunity
to curb these emissions by prolonging the useful life of materials already in place. In Boston, The BEAT (a reuse of the former Boston Globe building) incorporates existing structure and envelope elements into the updated building to allow these materials to continue to store their embodied carbon in place without the need for new virgin materials and their associated embodied emissions, while also curbing landfill waste. Reason 2: Budget From a life-cycle perspective, waste is expensive. By recycling buildings, labor, time, and materials are saved, while also avoiding carbon emissions to merely replace them. While developers have to work with what existing buildings have in place, regarding their thermal envelope and form/orientation, they can greatly curb their baseline emissions through sensible upgrades to both the envelope and mechanical systems. And, if they happen to be historically significant, there are many tax credits pinpointed specifically for their continued use through local, state, and federal programs, which support the economics of saving existing structures.
Report: Clean Energy Jobs Pay 25% More Washington – Clean energy jobs paid 25% more than the national median wage in 2019 and were more likely to include health care and retirement benefits, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis of federal occupational wage and benefits data prepared for E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), and the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI) by BW Research Partnership. The Clean Jobs, Better Jobs report, the first comprehensive analysis of wages and benefits across the clean energy sector, comes amid the growing national dialogue around clean energy as federal and state leaders look for ways to restart the economy. The findings underscore the opportunity to advance smart clean energy policies that create higher-wage opportunities, putting Americans back to work quickly rebuilding a cleaner, more resilient and more equitable economy. Overall, median wages in clean energy are significantly higher than median wages in sectors such as retail, services, recreation and accommodations, especially when it comes to entry-level wages. Clean energy industries also employed about three times more workers than
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Reason 3: Smart Land Use Planning Reusing existing buildings alleviates demands on new land development. Existing buildings already have sewer, utility, and transportation infrastructure connections to the broader community, greatly lowering infrastructure costs. Reason 4: Memory, Urban Fabric Continuity, and Creative Juxtaposition Existing buildings play a vital role in the history of a place and the memory of its people; thus, their preservation is more
than just retaining its physical form; it is equally the retaining of collective memories, experiences, and events of the community. While most of us think of renovation as messy and slow, there are many benefits to reap. Before demolishing an existing building, consider adaptive reuse and retrofitting first – the benefits to you, the community, and our planet are worth a second look. Blake Jackson, AIA is sustainability design leader at Stantec.
AIA Publishes New Study Washington – A new study published by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) finds that data and culture gaps are obstacles architects are facing in fighting climate change. The report, Sustainability in the Architect’s Journey to Specification, identified a number of common obstacles that could be improved by the building products industry to help architects support climate action, including: • Supplying useful, timely, and accurate product information and data • Reducing barriers – primarily high costs – to products to increase adoption of sustainable products, especially as clients are increasingly concerned about sustainability being too cost-conscious in the short term In other findings, nearly all architects said third-party testing or certification
is crucial for new product adoption. Architects also indicated that continuing education from building product companies is the most convenient way to learn about new products and innovations. “Architects are increasingly motivated to commit to climate action and evolve the built environment,” said 2020 AIA president, Jane Frederick, FAIA. “Our members have an important role to play, but they cannot do it alone. Everyone in the design and building product industry must do their part, and that means more than just making materials that contribute to sustainability. Informed product and material knowledge is essential if we are going to succeed. Committing to innovation is essential.” Sustainability in the Architect’s Journey to Specification is available on AIA’s website.
PCA Addresses Climate Change
fossil fuels did in 2019 and, unlike fossil fuel jobs, clean energy jobs are available in every state, regardless of geology or geography. Before COVID-19, clean energy had been one of the nation’s fastest-growing sectors. At the end of 2019, clean energy employed nearly 3.4 million workers across 99% of U.S. counties, according to E2’s Clean Jobs America report. View the report at https://e2.org/ reports/clean-jobs-better-jobs/.
Washington – The Portland Cement Association (PCA), an association representing cement manufacturers in the United States, announced an industrywide ambition to reduce carbon emissions and further address the impacts of climate change. As PCA members continue to drive down the carbon intensity of their operations and products, PCA will develop a roadmap by the end of 2021 to facilitate its member companies achieving carbon neutrality across the concrete value chain by 2050. Industries, environmental groups and local governments across the U.S. are increasingly working to mitigate the effects of climate change and create a more sustainable future, and this roadmap positions the cement and concrete industry as a leader in the construction
sector in delivering cleaner and greener infrastructure across the country. “As the second most used material on earth and a cornerstone of our economy, we understand the critical role cement and concrete play in our nation’s future, and we are committed to an industry-wide effort that achieves carbon neutrality,” said Tom Beck, chairman of the Portland Cement Association and president of Continental Cement. “We look forward to proactively working with stakeholders across the built environment, policymakers and environmental groups toward this ambitious target.”