July 2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

07/12 — Safety and Building Codes ■ Traditional building code requirements have hampered preservation attempts. Municipal regulations have applied mostly to new construction. Changes in building use may trigger extensive reworking of old buildings and compromise their design and appearance. Note: A.D.A. is a civil rights act and not a building code. Although the construction requirements are enforced through local building departments. ■ Enter the IEBC "International Existing Building Code." Attempts to balance the improvements sought by society without imposing an excessive burden upon the owner. Rehab is unpredictable by nature. Its basic goal is predictability and proportionality. The current approach is to encourage areas to be revitalized, permit new uses and to keep all buildings in use. The benefits reduce community costs while generating tax income. The new standards apply to "Rehabilitation" (no change in the character and use of a building, including modernization -preservation) and "Adaptive Reuse" (where the character and use of a building changes). • Since rehab work and building department interpretations may drastically differ, outcomes are not consistent. ■ See also the National Trust publication: "Building Codes for Historic Buildings" 07/12 — Introduction to LEED ■ Over 50% of landfill debris is from new construction. The construction of buildings accounts for 40% of the energy used in the US. ■ Energy loss in a building • 35% through Walls • 25% through Roof • 15% from Draughts • 15% into the Ground • 10% through Windows (mostly frames) ■ The LEED "Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design" Standards is one method used to encourage better use of resources to create safer environments. But it is not perfect. • The rating system can award points for new materials that exceed credits to retain/reuse entire existing buildings. There is an effort underway to reassess those priorities in the interest of historic preservation and sustainability. • Other "cheats" allow credits for local materials but apply a 500 -mile radius to that definition. Credits for material reuse need not be for the same construction project (not necessarily a bad thing) • LEED-NC (New Construction) if less than 50% of the residents will remain inside the building during construction. • LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) if 50% or more of the residents will remain inside the building during construction. 07/12 — New Additions —'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' ■ Appropriateness changes over time. ■ US Secretary of the Interior states that new work should be differentiated from the original and compatible with the massing, size, scale and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property. • Reversible: the original structure should be able to revert back its prior condition. • Preserve Historic Materials, Features and Character. (of the focus property and its environment. Consider precedents) • Protect Historical Significance — Make visual distinction between the old and the new design • Additions should be subordinate to the parent structure • Typical New Addition Placement . I�