I have a tendency to repeat several messages that I think are important, and I fear that after a while, the repetition may hide or blur the message. But because the messages are important, they’re worth repeating [recent on carbon], so here we go again…
The American Institute of Architects recently published a report on building repair, adaptation, and reuse as a path to saving energy and carbon. Honestly, there’s not much that’s new here, since all of these topics have been covered before. But that doesn’t mean that the report is unimportant. Rather, the fact that it is necessary to keep publishing this data and the obvious conclusion that we’d be better off if we spent more time working with our existing building stock.
The efficiency of mechanical systems has improved greatly in recent years, but as for the building fabric that surrounds them, I suggest looking at pages 7, 10, and 11 of the report. Older buildings in several critical fields are more energy efficient than those constructed in the last fifty years. This should not be a surprise, as masonry exterior walls with operable windows tend to provide better insulation and more options than sealed glass walls. Very simple technologies can help, such as the windows canopies in the picture above.
At the risk of repeating repetitiveness, read the report.
