Commercial Architecture June 2018 - 6

DEPARTMENT

the architects

Preserve For Maximum Sustainability
Today's HVAC and building-envelope technologies further enhance the inherent
sustainable advantages of renovating historical structures.
John D. Lesak, AIA, LEED AP, FAPT, Principal
Page & Turnbull

uilding construction and operation are ma-

Unfortunately, many older buildings were modified

jor contributors to global warming. A 2016

considerably over the years to accommodate the latest

report from the EPA shows that commercial

building technologies, such as fluorescent lighting and

and residential building operations account for 11% of

air conditioning, often to the detriment of their aesthetic

all greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S. Good design is

qualities. It's important to recognize that these inherently

green design, and architects have a responsibility to share

sustainable building features can be restored, often with

best practices, including repurposing and upgrading ex-

more efficient performance.

isting buildings. There is almost unlimited potential in

For the Antelope Valley Indian Museum project, architects used five different insulation systems. Tapered insulation on the topside introduced
an air barrier and improved seismic resistance while preserving a highly
decorative ceiling. Photo: Stephen Schafer, courtesy Page & Turnbull

water and the 80-yr. old boiler replaced with modern, ef-

adaptive reuse and redevelopment. Rehabilitating his-

THREE STEPS

torical buildings represents one of the most sustainable

A common-sense three-step approach to improving

approaches to the design and construction of built space

building performance involves

concepts: using energy only in populated spaces and giv-

available to us, for several reasons.

ing individuals the ability to self-adjust illumination and

struction of even the most sustainably designed new

1. reducing demand
2. using efficient technology
3. providing controllability.

building is considerable. Life-cycle analyses and other

For historical structures, this approach must be

state-of-the-art systems have smaller, slimmer profiles, re-

calculations of embodied energy often reveal a lengthy

balanced against preserving or restoring character-

quiring less intervention to install than those produced as

payback period, in terms of carbon output.

defining features.

recently as five years ago.

For one, the carbon footprint associated with con-

ficient water heaters.
The third step, controllability, combines two critical

climate to make themselves comfortable and, therefore,
more productive. Fortunately for historical buildings,

A new energy-efficient home, for example, may take

The first step, reducing demand, involves using pas-

Sometimes change is necessary to improve the use of a

35 to 50 years before its efficient operations offset the car-

sive measures to reduce the need for mechanical systems.

historic building. Converting the former Masonic temple

bon dioxide expended during construction, according to

These include adding insulation, improving windows,

in Glendale, CA, into regional headquarters for CBRE

the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington

and maximizing daylight and views. Serving as architect

provides a good example. Working with Gensler, Page

(savingplaces.org). Leveraging the original energy invest-

and preservation architect, Page & Turnbull designed five

& Turnbull introduced a sustainable intervention rather

ment represented by saving tons of stone, steel, wood, and

different insulation systems for the Antelope Valley Indi-

than a strict preservation approach, breathing new life

concrete, with a deep energy retrofit, drastically reduces

an Museum in Lancaster, CA, to provide a museum-qual-

into an Art Deco treasure that had been unused for three

the payback period. There are several examples of histor-

ity environment within an eclectic vernacular building in

decades. The project team introduced penetrations into

ical buildings operating with net-zero-carbon emissions.

the high desert.

the side and rear concrete walls for new windows, improv-

Another reason is that existing building demolition

Most critical was the roof. Adding tapered insulation

ing circulation and adding light to activate the interior.

and new construction are responsible for thousands

to the topside introduced an air barrier and improved

Combining rehabilitation of original detailing, including

of tons of building-material waste going into landfill,

seismic resistance while preserving a highly decorative

original wooden trusses from the 1920s, the result is a

which is decidedly unsustainable. Additionally, the leg-

ceiling.

unique blend of architectural history and contemporary

acy architectural norms underpinning older buildings

Likewise, the design team reduced energy demand for

are often intrinsically sustainable because they were built

the mixed-use Carson Block Building in Eureka, CA, by

before reliance on building systems. For example, typi-

restoring the elegant façade and removing bad modifi-

John D. Lesak, AIA, LEED AP, FAPT, is a principal with the

cal mid-20th-century high-rise office buildings often fea-

cations made over the years. Reconstructed storefronts,

award-winning innovative design, architecture, and historic preser-

tured large rectilinear floor plates, which were considered

combined with skylights over open stairwells, flood the

vation firm Page & Turnbull (page-turnbull.com), and manager of

economically efficient. Electrical and mechanical systems

interior with welcome natural daylight, resulting in re-

their Los Angeles office.

provided light and air to the interior areas, increasing the

duced consumption of electric lighting.
The second step requires upgrading existing systems

rentable square footage for each floor.
Pre-Depression-era buildings, in comparison, char-

or inserting high-efficiency equipment. For Antelope

acteristically used smaller floor plates containing light

Valley Museum, the team replaced an old swamp cooler

courts that permitted daylight and fresh air to penetrate

and window units with a heat-pump system connected to

the inner spaces. Their architects considered site place-

geothermal wells.

ment and fenestration to optimize occupant comfort and

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

For the Carson Block Building radiant steam heating
system, the radiators were retrofitted from steam to hot

provide daylight.
6

JUNE 2018

commercial workplace application. CA

commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Interview With John Lesak
Learn more about restoring historical
structures in our interview with John Lesak at
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/architects.

http://www.savingplaces.org http://www.page-turnbull.com http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/architects http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture June 2018