Green Building and Preservation Law: A Compatible Duo
As the so-termed “green building movement” continues to gain momentum throughout Maryland and the nation, there are going to be 
instances where it intersects with the past in important ways. Specifically, I’m referring to the meeting point of sustainable building practices with historic resources and preservation law.
Many of you know that there are already programs and laws that both incentivize and even mandate sustainable building practices for new construction projects - (and an upcoming “roll call” post will give you some background on the counties and municipalities in Maryland that mandate green building practices for new construction – be sure to subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss this one!) - but there are also green building and development programs that incentivize the rehabilitation and restoration of existing buildings.
For example, Howard County awards 2-4 points under Credit B-2 of its Green Neighborhood Program for the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of an historic building located on the project site that is listed on or eligible for listing on the Howard County Historic Sites Inventory. I've recently had the pleasure of working on a project pursuing points under the Site Development prong of the Green Neighborhood Program, and it's been my experience that 2-4 points in the framework of this program can be significant and is therefore a good carrot to entice a developer to implement a preservation plan for the resource. What may result is a modern development that incorporates techniques such as sustainable site design, increased energy efficiency, responsible water use and management, on-site renewable energy sources, increased pedestrian connectivity, and responsible materials selection married with an element of historic preservation.
Why do preservation & rehabilitation goals go hand-in-hand with green building principles?
As Preservation Maryland asserts, the rehabilitation of historic structures is inherently green:
- Rehabilitation of existing buildings utilizes less energy than new construction by utilizing embodied energy in existing materials, and
- Rehabilitation projects generate less waste than new construction
These are important points to consider as we move forward into the future of green building. It seems to me like Howard County is right on track in incentivizing historic preservation as a component of its Green Neighborhood Program.
I agree, I think Howard County has gotten it right by offering incentives for revitalizing historic buildings. Doing so saves a tremendous amount of energy and allows developers to make good use of structures that might otherwise be demolished or abandoned. Moving forward, I would hope that other Maryland counties would offer similar incentives so that the revitalization process could achieve uniformity, which would encourage more builders and developers to take part in the movement.