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This Month: The Importance of Adaptive Reuse from the Perspective of a Historian
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Feature Article
Sustainable Design Doesn't Have to Start From Scratch
Green building is about reducing and mitigating the impact of putting structures to use. It has a very strong association with current and leading edge design style, and rightly so. However the core mission of the green building movement needs to extend to buildings that precede it by decades. Green building doesn't always have to mean actually building a structure from the ground up. Sometimes, repurposing or rehabilitating an existing structure for a new use is the more sustainable option.
Rehabilitating existing structures can retain a structure's contribution to local architectural diversity. It retains a visual, physical, tangible link to the past, while also demonstrating the changing activity in an area over time.
Rather than tear down an older structure and put a new, modern green structure in place; building occupants can take existing structures and modify them for their uses. Why should someone do this rather than building anew? Because it can save money and materials otherwise required to build a completely new structure. It also preserves the historical value of a building and its part in the local architectural history.
For example, the former Interim Central Library in downtown Indianapolis was originally designed for offices. Later, it was repurposed as the Indiana State Museum. While the actual Central Library was being renovated and expanded, the collection and services took up residence in the Alabama Street location. North of the Central Library expansion is the Ambassador building. This structure has been renovated and repurposed as commercial office space and residential units as well.
Multiple architecture firms in the Indianapolis area have taken pre-existing buildings originally purposed for totally different uses and repurposed them as design facilities. Prominent among such examples is A2SO4 architects who have repurposed Union Station for their firm's headquarters. Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects and Axis Architecture & Interiors have also taken historical structures of unique original purposes and employed them to serve new purposes while retaining the locality's historic urban fabric.
As a final example, the Stutz Business Center on north Capitol Avenue in Indianapolis was originally a factory for the Stutz Motorcar Company. Decades after the company closed doors, this structure was repurposed as a business center that houses the Stutz Artists Association.
The bottom line is this: the green building movement has much to gain by rehabilitating tired, dated structures. Beyond material savings, these structures establish a sense of continuity and identify for their locality. Bringing in the historical preservation perspective does not necessarily conflict with progress. In many instances, both interests can be served by retaining structures of historic architectural value.
Kurt Jung is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has a background in history and considers green building a critical piece in the preservation of structures with historical value. Mr. Jung can be reached at [email protected].
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From the Chair
We all tend to get excited by new buildings and the USGBC LEED green building rating system has focused mostly on major new construction for the better part of its young life as a fast-growing organization dedicated to transforming the building construction market. When you walk through your city, count how many existing buildings you pass verses new buildings and try to imagine the impact if all those existing buildings were brought up to LEED standards of effectiveness and then held to that standard over time. That would really be transformational.
LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance is an odd bird on the USGBC wire with a long cumbersome name. Instead of focusing on what went into the design and construction of a building and awarding a plaque that marks a singular accomplishment in time, LEED EB:O&M focuses on ongoing operations and maintenance for continuing high performance over time. Early adopters of the previous version of this system, LEED EB, have had some amazing returns on their investment. Take Adobe Systems Incorporated LEED EB Platinum project , for example. These relatively new office towers save a total $1.2 million annually as a result of their LEED EB process - equating to an annual return on investment of 121 percent and an average payback per project of 9.5 months. Adobe's total costs of certification were just 10 percent of one year's savings. How does that compare to your stock market investment portfolio?
What excites me about the new version of LEED EB: Operations and Maintenance is that it is even more focused on continuous improvement and an ongoing process involving the people who will actually use and operate the building. On a large university campus with hundreds of existing buildings, this process would have multiple cascading positive effects, not the least of which is educating students who may be involved in, housed in or educated in those project certification efforts. At Indiana University, 13 LEED projects are in some stage of completion, but none are LEED EB:O&M. That may change soon as IU will be studying the potential for the Indiana Memorial Union to be LEED EB:O&M certified in a "Greening of the Indiana Memorial Union" charrette December 2nd and 3rd,, sponsored by Duke Energy Foundation. The Indiana Memorial Union, one of the largest student unions in the country, will celebrate its hundredth birthday this year. LEED EB: O&M may allow it to drink from the fountain of youth before starting its next century of life. This venerable campus icon will also host a LEED EB:O&M full-day workshop on November 18, presented by the Indiana Chapter and the South Central Branch of USGBC. Mark your calendars for a trip back to your future.
Bill Brown, AIA, LEED AP
USGBC Indiana Chair
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USGBC-IN Chapter News
USGBC-IN Chapter Meeting / Monthly Program
Wednesday, September 16th
 The September meeting will on September 16th and will be a panel discussion about Materials & Resources. It will be at Business Furniture with h'ors d'ouevre's starting at 5pm and the program at 5:30pm. Please make reservations early.
Date: September 16, 2009 (third Wednesday)
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (EST)
Location: Business Furniture
6102 Victory Way
Indianapolis, IN
See location in Google Maps
Cost: Free to USGBC members;
$15 for non-USGBC members (pay at the door)
Register: Click here for advance reservation.
Advance reservations are strongly suggested.
Registration ends 24 hours prior to the event.
USGBC Indiana 2009 Membership Gala Save-the-Date!
The USGBC Indiana is happy to announce that the year-end Membership Gala will be held on Thursday, December 3rd. Details will be announced soon.
USGBC Indiana Chapter on LinkedIn
 USGBC-IN has established a group on LinkedIn.
Click here to join.
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Join USGBC-IN Today!
Join the Indiana Chapter of USGBC today to enjoy the many benefits of membership that help your organization stay competitive, grow your business, and make the best contacts in the green building industry.
Indiana Chapter members receive the following benefits:
- Member-only discounts and networking events - local event fees are discounted for chapter members. Monthly meetings are free!
- Get a fantastic array of green building tools and educational resources.
- Be noticed - membership sets your organization apart.
- Build relationships in the local construction industry.
- Meet, learn and network with other building professionals who share the same passion for green building.
- Benefit from company and individual names being listed in one of the largest directories of green building practitioners and supporters via the USGBC National website and our local chapter homepage.
- Get involved - help build much-needed awareness for green building in Indiana.
- Be recognized as a leader in supporting a better built environment.
- Shape and proactively promote local green initiatives through chapter and committee involvement.
- Vote in local chapter business/issues.
Sign up today and receive a one-year membership for only $50 (less than 14 cents per day)!
For more information regarding USGBC Indiana, please visit our web site at usgbc-in.org.
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USGBC-IN Branch News
South Central Branch Program:
Solar Water Heating
Thursday, September 17th At this month's program, David Mann from Mann Plumbing Inc. Solar Energy Systems will provide a tour and discussion of their solar thermal installation at the Upland Brewery. The tour will last roughly 1/2 hour starting at 6:30, and will be followed by a short presentation and technical question-and-answer session in the Banquet Hall. For more information on Mann Plumbing, visit www.mannplumbing.com. For more information on USGBC and the South Central Branch, visit the website at www.usgbc-in.org/branches/index.php?id=47
Program information is as follows: Date: September 17, 2009 (third Thursday) Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST Location: Upland Brewing Company 350 W 11th St Bloomington, IN 47404 See location in Google MapsCost: Free Registration: Click here to register
Northeast Branch Program:
LEED v3 - An Update on the New System
Thursday, October 8th
Topics will include:- LEED v3 - An Update on the New System.
- Works In Progress - Current LEED Registered Projects in NE Indiana.
- Project Highlight: IPFW Sustainable Construction and Renewable Energy Lab.
Program information is as follows:
Date: Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Time: Check in at 5:00 PM; Presentation at 6:00 PM
Location: Grand Wayne Center
120 W Jefferson Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46802-3030
See location in Google Maps
Cost: Free to USGBC members; $15 to non-members
Registration: Click here to register.
Click here to access the event flyer.
One free drink ticket with RSVP by October 1st
Parking: City Center Garage - $1/hour; $2 flat rate nights and weekends
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Indiana Green Building Events
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Announces New Green Building Award as part of the 2009 Monumental Affair Awards
 The Monumental Award, representing the most significant visual and physical enhancement in Marion County, is selected by an impartial jury of community and professional leaders. This is the highest award of distinction and is chosen from the honor award winners in each category.
New this year is the (re)thINk Award! Sanctioned by Indiana Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the (re)thINk Award highlights significant achievement in sustainable design and construction.
Call for entries: 2009 Entries must be received in the KIB Office no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 2, 2009. Click here for more details.
Tapping into the Emerging Green Economy:
Green Economic Development Strategies for Community and Brownfield Redevelopment
September 15, 2009
This event will occur from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM on September 15, 2009 at the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Offices at 1029 Fletcher Ave., Suite 100 Indianapolis, IN.
This event is a 1-day workshop for planners, economic development professionals, non-profit organizations, businesses, consultants & elected officials to explore the emerging green economy.
Registration is $25 for non-profit and government employees; $40 for private businesses and other sectors. Registration includes lunch.
Email Vanessa at [email protected] to register or request additional information.
September 20 - 23, 2009
 If you enjoyed AASHE2008, you'll want to mark your calendar now for Greening of the Campus VIII. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) will be partnering with Ball State University to bring you this event. The conference has traditionally been held on Ball State's campus, but this year will be in the Indianapolis Convention Center in order to accommodate the growing campus sustainability community.
Greening of the Campus VIII will be held Sept 20 - 23, 2009 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. More information can be found at http://www.bsu.edu/greening/.
Labs21 2009 Annual Conference
September 22 - 24, 2009
 Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21)
is designed to meet the needs of laboratory
and high performance facility designers, engineers, owners, and facility managers.
Co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), Labs21 offers
professionals worldwide an extraordinary
opportunity for information exchange and
education with regard to high-performance
laboratories and related facilities.
As official co-sponsor of the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) Annual Conference and workshops, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) will facilitate a network of technical capabilities to address global needs while incorporating the Labs21 Approach to sustainable, high performance, and low-energy laboratories.
Please visit I2SL's web site at i2sl.org for the most up-to-date conference and workshop information.
INASLA Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation
October 23, 2009
 The Indiana Chapter of the American Society of
Landscape Architects (INASLA) is putting on their
Annual Meeting and Awards Presentation on
October 23, 2009 at University Place Conference
Center. The theme for this year's event will be
"Strategies in Sustainability: Providing the Tools
to Go Green."
Please visit the INASLA website at inasla.org for
additional information.
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Emerging Green Builders (EGB) News
 Who We Are
Emerging Green Builders are students and young professionals dedicated to becoming and recruiting the future leaders of the green building movement. EGB Indiana, part of the Heartland Region, offers you the opportunity to get involved in green building locally, access USGBC resources, and particiate in local events.
All Things EGBPlease visit us at usgbc-in.org/egb for all the latest events, resources, and local branch information. |
Indiana Green Building News
Items are linked back to their sources and are the property of their owners. Click on heading for complete article.
Indy Chamber Receives Environmental Outreach Award
Source: Indiana Living Green, Inc.
Date Written: 09/11/2009
All registered LEED NC 2.0 projects must have submitted for certification, or upgraded (for free) to a more recent version of LEED, by December 31, 2009.
In order to clear inactive projects from the LEED registered database, all projects currently registered under LEED for New Construction version 2.0 must either submit for certification or upgrade to any newer version of the LEED rating system by Dec. 31, 2009. Projects that remain registered under LEED for New Construction v2.0 after Dec. 31 will be retired from the system and will no longer be registered with LEED. Through the end of 2009, all rating system upgrades will be free.
Read more...
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Add Your LEED Projects to USGBC-IN.org
Submit Your LEED Certified Projects
USGBC Indiana is in the process of adding in-state LEED certified projects to the website's "Green Projects" showcase. If
you would like to submit your LEED certified
project, please complete the Green Project Profile
form and submit entries to [email protected].
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National USGBC NewsItems are linked back to their sources and are the property of their owners. Click on heading for complete article.LEED NC 2.0 Sunset Date
Source: Green Building Certification Institute
All
registered LEED NC 2.0 projects must have submitted for certification,
or upgraded (for free) to a more recent version of LEED, by December
31, 2009.
In order to clear inactive projects from the LEED
registered database, all projects currently registered under LEED for
New Construction version 2.0 must either submit for certification or
upgrade to any newer version of the LEED rating system by Dec. 31,
2009. Projects that remain registered under LEED for New Construction
v2.0 after Dec. 31 will be retired from the system and will no longer
be registered with LEED. Through the end of 2009, all rating system
upgrades will be free.
Read more... USGBC Launches Initiative to Track Buildings' Performance
Author: Staff
Source: Environmental Leader
Date Written:
08/27/2009
The goal of the initiative is to provide feedback to building owners so they have better information to address any performance gaps that stem from predicted building performance versus actual performance, said USGBC.
This initiative complements USGBC's announcement earlier this year that will require ongoing performance data from buildings as part of their certification under the latest version of LEED. The building council recently updated its certification with the launch of LEED Version 3.
USGBC plans to hold four Building Performance Initiative summits across the U.S. in September and October, where participants will have a chance to preview USGBC's data collection agenda and proposed analysis methodology and provide other feedback.
Read more... |
Get Involved with USGBC-IN
Become a Volunteer Today!
USGBC-IN is looking for motivated
volunteers to assist with several upcoming projects. There has never been a better time to get involved with USGBC. For more details
on upcoming opportunities, please contact
USGBC-IN at [email protected].
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From the Editor
Uniting the International Green Building Community
While Indianapolis may be the home of Super Bowl XLVI in a few years, so far Greenbuild hosting duties are not on the horizon. In fact, the future sites of the year's highest-profile green building conference and exposition are as follows:
2009: Phoenix, Arizona
2010: Chicago, Illinois
2011: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2012: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2013: San Diego, California
You read that correctly. In two years, Greenbuild will commence north of the border and be held outside of the United States for the first time in its history.
Yes, Greenbuild is primarily organized, marketed, and executed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is also true that the majority of attendees are from the United States. However, this move beyond the States makes sense in a number of ways.
For one, Greenbuild has always billed itself as an international convention and expo. Even the first Greenbuild conference in 2002 was attended by registrants from 16 different countries.
Secondly, international problems demand international cooperation. Whether it is peak oil, the amount of GHG emissions in the atmosphere, potable water scarcity, sustainably-managed forests, or air quality (among others), the only way to truly effect change at a global scale is through global collaboration. Did you know there is a World Green Building Council? Indeed, the USGBC is an "established GBC" (highly level of membership) with the WGBC. Were you aware that there are different versions of LEED currently being applied in such countries as Canada and India? When Greenbuild commences in Toronto in 2011, it be hosted by the metropolitan home of the WGBC's national headquarters.
Thirdly, the success of the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED rating system must be exported. That is not to suggest that the reach of these entities should be expanded. But rather, appropriately organized green building councils (GBCs) and methodologies for assessing green building design, construction, and performance must be established in various countries where currently no such organized efforts exist. This is primarily a matter of education, verification, and documentation of green building efforts that have been tailored for various locales.
Just as our economy and social networks are becoming global in scope, so too must the green building community. After all, we are all in this together.
Daniel Overbey, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP
USGBC Indiana Communications Chair
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Calendar at a Glance
September
15: Tapping into the Emerging Green Economy Workshop Location: Indianapolis, IN
16: USGBC-IN Monthly Program Location: Indianapolis, IN 17: USGBC-IN South Central Branch Monthly Program Location: Bloomington, IN 20 - 23: Greening of the Campus VIII: Embracing Change Location: Indianapolis, IN 22 - 24: Labs21 2009 Annual Conference Location: Indianapolis, IN
October
08: USGBC-IN Northeast Branch Program
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
21: USGBC-IN Monthly Program
Location: Indianapolis, IN
22: USGBC-IN South Central Branch Monthly Program
Location: Bloomington, IN
23: INASLA Annual Conference Location: Indianapolis, IN
November
December
3: USGBC Indiana Membership Gala
Location: TBA
Please email your event notices to the Editor. Thank you!
All dates are subject to change. For a complete list of upcoming events, please log-in to usgbc-in.org.
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Platinum Sponsor
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In Kind Sponsors
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USGBC-IN is supported with a grant from the Indiana Office of Energy Development
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Partner Organization
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The Indiana Chapter of USGBC
invites you to support the activities of the chapter by becoming a
sponsor. As interest in green building gains momentum in Indiana,
there has never been a better time to become involved with and support
the Chapter.
Through communications, educational programs,
networking events, and advocacy work, we hope to educate and create
awareness of green and sustainable building strategies. Please
consider becoming an annual or program sponsor and joining our effort
for a better built environment.
There are several levels of sponsorships that are available. To receive a Sponsorship Registration Form, please contact Elizabeth C. Ellis, Executive Director.
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GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK
Let us know how we can improve the USGBC-IN newsletter. Contact Daniel Overbey, Communications Committee Chair.
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