HISTORIC PRESERVATION: Essentially Sustainable
Preserve History Preserve the Environment
The Greenest Home is the One Already Built
It takes approx. 65 yrs for a green, energy-efficient new office building to recover the energy lost in demolishing an existing building, even if 40% of those materials are recycled Constructing a new 50,000 sq. foot commercial building releases about the same amount of carbon into the atmosphere as driving a car 2.8 million miles Demolishing that same 50,000 sq. foot building would create nearly 4,000 tons of waste – enough debris to fill 26 railroad boxcars. Tearing down one small typical building (25 ft x 120 ft) will have wiped out the entire environmental benefit from recycling 1,344,000 aluminum cans
Sustainability means stewardship. Historic preservation is sustainable development. Development without historic preservation is not sustainable. *Statistics from the National Trust, speeches by Richard Moe and Donovan Rypkema
4804 Dauphine Street Holy Cross AFTER The original side entry was discovered when the tree was removed.
BEFORE During Hurricane Katrina, a large pecan tree fell on this home. The PRC purchased the house and renovated it to its original historic footprint.
711 Caffin Ave Holy Cross
BEFORE
AFTER Front and back of Caffin Avenue after PRC’s renovation. Rear portion of the house before renovation by PRC
717 Deslonde St Holy Cross
AFTER
BEFORE
938 Lizardi St Holy Cross
BEFORE
AFTER Front and back portion of 938 Lizardi prior to PRC’s renovation.
2133 Jackson Ave Home of “Kid” Ory Central City
AFTER
BEFORE Jazz trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory lived at 2133 Jackson Avenue during the 1910’s.
5009 Royal Street Holy Cross
AFTER
BEFORE
3901 Tchoupitoulas Street UPTOWN
AFTER
BEFORE
Block of General Taylor Street UPTOWN
AFTER
BEFORE Once abandoned and blighted, this row of 8 double shotguns was renovated by the PRC and the homes were returned to commerce. The project also highlighted the importance of preserving our streetscapes.
5118 Burgundy St
AFTER
BEFORE
Patricia H. Gay Executive Director Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans www.prcno.org