SEALANT WATERPROOFING & RESTORATION INSTITUTE • FALL 2010 • 32.3

The Ultimate Act of Sustainability

Restoring our past can lead us into a more responsible future

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f all the drivers in the construction industry, there is none bigger than sustainability. From government initiatives and major media outlets, from the architect’s office to the job trailer, sustainability influences design decisions, material selection and construction methods. At present, the dialogue around sustainability centers on new construction. Often overlooked, however, is building restoration.

Our buildings and their architecture are an expression of our values. As you tour the great cities of the world, you can read the story of these cities in their skylines—a rich story worth preserving.

Building restoration is a sustainable, responsible use of resources. After all, what is sustainable construction if

not preserving what we have already built?

The Role of Building Restoration What is building restoration? It’s big. It’s so big that it’s a little scary. Traditionally, we think of restoration in terms of waterproofing, caulking, tuckpointing and concrete repair. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines restoration as the act of preserving assets, returning them to their former position or an improved condition. But it’s more than that—more than buckets and bags, trowels and caulk guns. Restoration is a value—a value that has the power to transform our buildings, our communities, our economy and our environment.

Most discussions of sustainability focus on the environmental impacts of construction: resources, water use, air quality and energy. These are important issues. However, the challenges we face go beyond the lot line. Nothing happens in a vacuum. The effects of construction touch not only the environment but also

The Ultimate Act of SustainabilityBy Christopher Perego

Building a sustainable future begins with restoring our past

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our economy and our communities. Building restoration is the ultimate act of sustainability.

“We have to move beyond thinking about doing less harm to something that is more regenerative, restorative, truly loving, adding value.” —Bob Berkabile, principal, BNIM Architects (Kansas City)

Restoring Communities—a StartThe recent recession has had a devastating impact on many industries, perhaps none more than construction. The economy’s impact has been felt far and wide in this industry, as well as adjacent industries that rely on construction. The effects have rippled through communities in the form of unemployment, home foreclosures and businesses that have closed. But the recession has allowed time for a frame reset, too. The boom-bust mentality of development in North America has needed a change. Moving forward, we need sustainable growth, social change that lasts and construction solutions that go beyond doing no harm. We need solutions that are restorative on all levels. Building restoration can play a vital role in economic development, community revitalization and softening our environmental footprint. In the past, preservation was an intellectual issue—saving places of historical significance. Today, it has become an environmental issue, focusing on the need to preserve resources. However, as our building stock ages, the volume of buildings constructed in the recent past becomes clear; it is immense. Thus, the issue will become one of economics, too. America cannot afford to throw these buildings away. The answer is restoration.

The Economic Impact of RestorationThe economic impact of restoration is far and wide. Building restoration projects can be mini-stimulus projects for communities. Someone once remarked, “If you want to put people to work, tuck point a building.” In the book “The Economics of Historic Preservation,” author Donovan Rypkema lays out arguments for historic preservation as an economic development tool. These arguments are true not only for historic preservation but for building restoration in general.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “All politics are local.” Here is a new expression: “All restoration is local.” Building restoration creates jobs. A major component of the cost of restoration is labor, accounting for roughly 60 percent to 70 percent. Because most

Restoration is a value – a value that has the power to transform our buildings, our communities, our economy and our environment.

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jobs hire local labor, wages paid to craftsmen tend to stay within the local community. This results in additional demand for goods and services.

“Our research showed that preservation was often a superior economic catalyst compared to other investments.” —David Listokin and Michael L. Lahr, “Economic Impacts of Preservation in New Jersey and Texas,” Forum Journal (2000)

In fact, building restoration has a greater impact on local suppliers than new construction. That’s because most materials used to repair and restore buildings are purchased from local businesses. That revenue, in turn, cycles its way through the local economy to create wages, demand for more services and neighborhood tax revenue.

Unlike large capital projects, such as sports stadiums or bridges, building restoration projects tend to be incremental. They are smaller in size and scope and, therefore, more affordable to building owners. Additionally, the sheer volume of buildings means a continual supply of opportunity for the industry. Because of these factors, building restoration provides the opportunity to burst the boom-bust bubble of our existing development paradigm. Benefits That Go Beyond the Lot LineAs with most things in life, nothing happens in a vacuum. You cannot restore a building on one side of the street without having a profound impact on the building on the other side of the street. In addition to economic benefits,

All restoration is local. Building restoration creates jobs accounting for roughly 60 percent to 70 percent of all costs on a restoration project.

The sheer volume of buildings needing restoration means a continual supply of opportunity for the industry.

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building restoration yields many intangible benefits that are just as important in creating sustainable development.

The past few decades have seen an exodus out of cities as people migrated to suburbia and even exburbia—the ring of low-density, automobile-dependent sprawled cities on the edges of metropolitan areas. The reasons were many but, in a nutshell, as cities fell into disrepair, people moved out in search of a higher quality of life. Restoration, then, provides a catalyst for changes in city centers and urban neighborhoods.

Building restoration also leads to gentrification—the influx of middle class into deteriorating areas. As people move back into cities, neighborhoods stabilize. Homesteading of properties leads to a reduction in crime and an increase in investment, yielding more economic benefits.

Improving existing buildings leads to increased property values, too. This means greater equity for owners and more potential profit. It also results in more tax revenue for local cities. Cities can reinvest this revenue in local projects and services, further enhancing the quality of life in cities and urban neighborhoods.

Rising property values, increased traffic and more residents lead to the demand for more services. Together, they provide a ripe environment for investment on all levels: public, private and individual. Job creation, tax revenues and reduction in crime—the

benefits of building restoration extend well beyond the lot lines of buildings.

“Old one-shot or quick-fix formulas for attracting businesses or building sports stadiums or increasing tourist advertising typically fail to deal with the root causes of contemporary place predicaments.”—Philip Kotler, Donald Haider and Irving Rein, “Marketing Places” Restoration3

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. This familiar phrase has become the mantra of environmental responsibility. Building restoration fulfills these goals and then some. When we restore a building, we keep waste out of landfills and make responsible use of existing resources. The environmental impact of restoration is profound. What could be more sustainable than restoring an existing building? Many have made strong arguments for the positive environmental impact of restoration. Perhaps the most compelling stems from the

very definition of restoration: the act of preserving assets, returning them to their former position or an improved condition. Inherent in its name, restoration preserves existing resources, extending their life

and allowing future generations to use and enjoy them. Statistics reveal that 44,000 commercial buildings are demolished annually in the United States. The Deconstruction Institute reports that the demolition of buildings in the U.S. produces about 124 tons of debris each year. In fact, construction debris accounts for

The benefits of building restoration extend well beyond the lot lines of buildings.

Restoration is an opportunity for us to make an impact on our economy, our communities and the environment.

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one-third of all solid waste. Add to those numbers statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, which estimates that 27 percent of all buildings will be replaced between 2000 and 2030. By restoring buildings, we can make an immediate and significant impact on the volume of waste going to landfills. We can no longer afford to throw buildings away in the name of progress, development or the environment.

“New construction is estimated to create 1.5 times more greenhouse gas than building restoration.”—Carnegie Melon’s Green Design Institute

Another benefit to restoring buildings? Doing so utilizes existing infrastructure. After all, the roads are already built, power and utilities already exist. By reusing existing buildings, we limit the need for additional resources and maximize the existing infrastructure investment. This lessens the impact on resources, water and emissions from the construction of roads and utilities.

Building restoration preserves embodied energy. Much of the discussion around sustainable construction centers on the embodied energy of building materials. What about the embodied energy of the building being razed and replaced? Each time we replace a building, we lose the embodied energy invested in that building. Building restoration preserves not only embodied energy but the time, money and emotion invested in that building.

Where Do We Go From Here?Building restoration is a sustainable, responsible use of resources. Restoration is an opportunity for us to make an impact on our economy, our communities and the environment. In the discussion of sustainable development, restoration has a strong value proposition. After all, what is sustainable construction if not preserving what we have already built?

About the AuthorChristopher Perego is market segment manager, building restoration, for BASF Construction Chemicals, Building Systems (Shakopee, Minn.). He can be reached at christopher.perego@basf.com or (612) 991-0095.

Improving existing buildings leads to increased property values. This means greater equity for owners and more potential profit.

The Montgomery Plaza had been ravaged by flood and tornado damage and abandoned. Unique restoration solutions brought the 1920s structure back to life in Fort Worth, Texas.

By restoring buildings, we can make an immediate and significant impact on the volume of waste going to landfills.

Building restoration creates jobs because a major component, about 60 percent to 70 percent, is labor.