Embracing the old strengthens the heart of the new

 

BY CLAIRE MOSER FOR GREENING OF OIL

Imagine living at the top of the Colosseum. With a couple adjustments of course, this first century theater could be turned into a three story residential complex with a prime location in the center of Rome and beautiful views over the ancient and Imperial Forums.

While I can dream about making an omelet looking through one of the Colosseum’s top arches, there is someone doing just that on the other side of the Capitoline hill in the older Theater of Marcellus. Completed by Augustus in 11 BC, the Theater of Marcellus was continually reused throughout history until today where some of Rome’s most luxurious (and expensive) apartments are located.

The building not only survived two thousand years but still stands as a functioning part of the modern Roman city. The layers of history have piled up and the distinction between old and new has become less and less clear separating Rome from any other city.

While the Romans are familiar with reusing old buildings and combining them with the modern, why haven’t we embraced this resourcefulness?

(Start the conversation. See comments section at bottom of page.)

“In modernity, the desire to preserve historical buildings and neighborhoods emerged in many Western countries out of various romanticist and historicist streams,” states MIT's Greening East Campus’ website.

Of course our “old” buildings are not anywhere near as old as the ancient stone theaters, but there are other ways that we can reuse what we have instead of starting from scratch each time. 

Historic preservation in the U.S. has focused on keeping cultural facilities, monuments and structures alive but preserving these building can also play a large role in reducing our environmental footprints. The costs of new construction and demolition are enormous.

In an average year, new building construction uses around 30 billion board feet of lumber, 50 million tons of concrete and additionally, incredible quantities of other resources. Waste from demolition is sent to landfills and energy and resources are used for the new construction. 

“While new construction can be exciting, sexy, and rife with dreams and possibility, the first rule of green design is this: the greenest building is the one not built… Green design advocates should first focus on avoiding new construction,” says Walter Simpson, senior fellow for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards from the US Green Building Council have created a series of ratings for buildings to show how “green” a new building is. Each building earns points on a LEED checklist to achieve a Silver, Gold or Platinum certified rating. While the checklist focuses on new construction, points can be earned for using anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the existing shell of a building. No matter what percent, this building reuse is often referred to as ‘adaptive reuse’ focusing on changing uses for structures.

Adaptive reuse is the conversion of existing vacant or underutilized buildings into new residential and live/work spaces according to the Los Angeles Office of Economic Development. Instead of a new building, lots of local projects have transformed old, out of use structures into chic new housing, restaurants, hotels and bars. Countless old banks have been turned into clubs, fire stations to restaurants and train stations to hotels.

But reuse does not only apply to large building projects. The Romans also avoid starting from scratch by reusing building materials from around the city. The original wall around the Vatican built in the ninth century, has been said to have reused the marble from the floors of the Imperial forums to make the concrete for the large brick structure. And while old marble is probably not lying around, it is really easy to find recycled construction materials or to recycle materials you have left over from a project.

For larger projects, using recycled materials and recycling unwanted ones also can add on LEED checklist points reducing the environmental footprint of the building.

Additionally, a simple Google search can quickly locate nearby stores that sell recycled materials to use in your new projects. It has become particularly popular to use recycled wood for flooring. The well-used wood gives the floor a weathered look and a distinctive character that had become really popular and can be up to 50 percent less in cost. Mostly using oak, cherry and chestnut, the wood can be found in lumber mills, by specialty buyers of old wood, and local construction supply stores.

The Construction Materials Recycling Association has created a database of member companies that process concrete, asphalt, wood, metals and other materials. You can find local recyclers on the site, for you to recycle your own materials so as little as possible will go to waste. You can also visit the Building Materials Reuse Association for a directory of suppliers by state.

About Claire Moser

Originally from Los Angeles, Claire Moser is a junior Urban and Regional Studies major at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY concentrating on environmental issues and natural resources.

Moser does research on environmental policies and land tenure issues with two professors in the City and Regional Planning Department of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning. She spent last summer as an intern in Washington DC following the American Clean Energy and Security Act attending numerous federal hearings and reading the all 1300 pages of the bill (HR 2454). She is also a part of the Cornell University Program Board and the Cornell Concert Commission bringing great speakers and performers to campus.

Claire is currently spending the spring semester of her junior year located in Trastevere, Rome studying the city and its green living.

Contact Claire Moser at claire.moser@gmail.com