feature REHAB/RETROFIT CONSTRUCTION tax breaks for investments in energy-saving technologies. Then the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act gave added impetus to the use of renewable energy systems.
The greenest renovations According to Michael Binette, AIA, NCARB, and principal of The Architectural Team, Chelsea, MA, in some projects it’s possible to recycle on a very large scale—redeploy entire buildings, existing materials, structure, and MEP systems—saving money and resources in the process. Some of these adaptivereuse projects for historical factories open the door for adding modern cogeneration systems or even reviving hydroelectric capabilities. They can also accommodate renewable energy, using their large, flat roofs to support new photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors and by drilling geothermal wells below. Existing buildings usually can be reconnected to the grid more easily than most greenfield sites, too. “When evaluating the best gains, look for simple answers first,” Binette said. “We work often with historic mills, where new insulation offers the biggest benefit at the lowest cost. We have achieved thermal barrier values as high as R-23 with medium-density spray foams in combination with cellulose insulation on century-old masonry structures.” One such case was the Oliver Lofts in Boston, an adaptive reuse, mixed-income residential property that was formerly a brewery warehouse. The return on energy-related upgrades is well established. For green buildings and sustainability retrofits, there is a growing body of information underscoring the financial benefits of upgrades focused on occupant health and well being, lower toxicity, and occupant productivity. One study of hundreds of LEED-rated buildings by the Univ. of San Diego and the real-estate data company CoStar, Washington, showed rents increased by more than $11 and resale values jumped more than $170/sq. ft. for green buildings, compared with their non-green neighbors. This value can be captured for long-term property holders, too. For example, the Haverford School, Haverford, PA, undertook a $28-million restoration and expansion for an upper school and administration building to meet the educational needs of information-age students within and adjacent to a historical 1903 hall. The 10
COMMERCIAL BUILDING PRODUCTS
with a visioning session in the earliest part of the planning phase to establish a description of a futurestate based on shared values among the various stakeholders,” Brotman explained. For WXY’s work on the Drawing Center, the client’s planned expansion strategy led to a feasibility study. The cultural group had long considered a highprofile new building at the World Trade Center site, and compared that with another site several blocks away. The museum leadership eventually decided to stay at its existing, and iconic, location, said Layng, based on the favorable ROI of an extensive renovation including new gallery interiors, MEP systems, skylights, and stairs for the 19thcentury loft building. Behind the decision was a careful accounting of organizational needs and longterm vision, followed by a detailed analysis of design options and associated costs. “From these granular details come the inspiration and foundation of truly great projects, where their unique attributes fully serve the core of each organization’s goals,” said Brotman. “But this is only the case if the planning phase has thoroughly nurtured these granular details to generate something larger from them.” Kelley of MGA Partners, a firm that has expertise in university live-learn environments, agreed. “Often our challenge as the architect and planner is to help shape a new organizational system while adapting physical spaces to accommodate how they work.” The many different approaches to successful renovation boil down to extensive planning that involves everyone with a horse in the race. That key element, however, may be just about the only thing any given group of renovations has in common. As the saying goes, if you’ve seen one renovation, you’ve seen one renovation. Each project brings enough challenges and opportunities to keep the entire team on their toes for the duration.
For the Haverford School, MGA Partners restored the 1903 Wilson Hall, designed by noted architects Fred Furness and Allen Evans, and paired it with a sophisticated modernist expansion for a major new academic building certified LEED Gold.
JUL/AUG 2013
LEED Gold landmark facility is also a teaching tool for environmental responsibility, according to Daniel F. Kelley, FAIA, senior partner with MGA Partners, Philadelphia, and lead designer. “The project incorporates many strategies to minimize the building’s carbon footprint and create a healthy environment for learning,” said Kelley. “It has launched the school’s heightened commitment to sustainable practice across campus.” One example: an array of specialized meters and controls that give students and teachers real-time feedback on energy and water usage.
More than mere looks Other retrofit and renovation projects are geared toward aesthetic and performance upgrades, such as exterior recladding and overcladding. A number of school districts and healthcare providers are adding continuous exterior insulation, or CI, to existing buildings by overcladding. In addition to a renewed look, it’s an effective technique for improving acoustics and the effective R-value while controlling condensation and air infiltration. Yet some renovation approaches don’t work well. In many cases it’s because the old building can’t support the kinds of renovations envisioned, leading to costly added work. But usually projects fall short of expectations because the goals and the design vision are out of alignment, said Jay M. Brotman, AIA, a partner with the architecture firm Svigals + Partners, New Haven, CT. “We use a process of lab planning called Phusion that is ideal for these complex renovation projects,” said Brotman, who recently led the transformation of a corporate complex in New Haven, into the W-B 24 scientific research hub for Yale Univ.’s growing West Campus Integrated Science & Technology Center. “Phusion begins
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Chris Sullivan is principal of C.C. Sullivan, a Montclair, NJ, marketing firm specializing in the commercial-building market.
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