Heritage building preservation – the ultimate in green building?

Abstract

The trend towards building green is gaining momentum. Much of the early emphasis has been on new buildings but there is increasing awareness of the importance of ‘greening’ the existing building stock. A small but significant proportion of existing buildings are considered to be heritage buildings and the need to ‘green’ these buildings while protecting their heritage values is an additional challenge that needs to be addressed. This paper discusses the opportunities and issues related to the rehabilitation of heritage buildings in a ‘green’ fashion. It also explores the potential synergies between heritage preservation and sustainable development.