Eastbayri.com

To the editor:

Although historic preservation has generally been advocated from a cultural perspective, now there are compelling reasons to save and recycle existing buildings based on science, technology, and the need to preserve our environment.

It is important for the Town of Tiverton to preserve the Nonquit School not only because it contributes to the small-scale buildings that help to define the “rural quality” of Tiverton, but also because it will exemplify the sustainable stewardship of our natural resources. This argument also applies to the Ranger School, Judson Center, and other properties that are in more urban settings.

Since 1998 the U.S. Green Building Council has been developing the LEED process (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Development) which has created an open and transparent discipline within which all building owners can make good decisions about energy conservation and sustainability. Within the past decade, many institutions as well as federal, state, and local agencies are requiring that projects be LEED certified, and there is now competition to achieve their highest ratings.

 Developing “green” strategies to re-use existing buildings is not just about doing the right thing, but rather an important step in avoiding the thoughtless wasting of natural resources. Re-using existing buildings is an integral resource-saving initiative that goes hand-in-hand with recycling waste, halting urban sprawl, reducing water and energy consumption.

With an abundance of research during this period, it is now clear that saving and re-cycling existing buildings is the “greenest” of all actions - next to preserving existing open space.    At a recent presentation by the Rhode Island Chapter of the Green Building Council, it was pointed out that the demolition of an existing medium sized commercial building negated the benefits of recycling 8 million aluminum cans! 

For those who might question whether it might be better to replace an existing building with a new LEED certified building, Richard Moe, former head of the National Trust for Historic Preservation has stated in 2008 that “... Recent research indicates that even if 40% of the materials are recycled, it takes approximately 65 years for a green, energy efficient new office building to recover the energy lost in demolishing an existing building.” The same concept would apply to building a new private residence.

Although it may take time, I urge the town to re-use its existing historical resources.

James R. Weir AIA

Eastdesign Architects