Architecture, Engineering & Planning EVstudio | Denver & Evergreen Architect | Colorado & Central Texas | Blog » Historic Preservation

Historic Preservation and Sustainability – One Strategy Contributing to Both Goals

Elicia Ratajczyk — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:20:51 +0000

Dean and I had a very interesting meeting with the Heritage Resources Program Leader for the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. Forest Service last week and during our meeting we began discussing the idea of sustainability and historic preservation. This very topic will be the theme of the upcoming 2010 Saving Places Conference which is presented annually by Colorado Preservation Inc. and has become something of a hot (and sometimes controversial) topic in historic preservation circles as of late.

Both Sustainability and Historic Preservation are passions for me personally, and have played a huge role in my pursuit of architecture. I believe that sustainability is much more than “green building” and must effectively balance environmental, economical & social concerns in order to be successful. As a very important social concern in the built environment, I view the practice of Historic Preservation as both the source of many important sustainability concepts, methods and strategies and also as a valuable Green Design strategy in and of itself. Not much more than 100 years ago, most buildings were built according to many of today’s “green” standards out of necessity. They were built according to long standing practices that took the natural forces, site considerations and efficiency of the building and it’s site into account because that was the only way that you could afford to build. Materials, transportation and resources were not as readily available as they are today. In addition, they were built using local materials and craftsman who were experts in using regionally important practices, a concept only added to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating Systems as of 2009! It is a broadly held misconception today that all old buildings are not energy efficient. It wasn’t until somewhat recently (starting in the 50’s & 60's), that buildings and their systems started becoming seriously inefficient with the widespread availability of cheap materials and energy which made it economical to build this way. Many historic buildings have terrific thermal envelopes and incorporate great green building strategies such as passive solar design & natural ventilation. Preserving an existing historic building can be a very effective sustainable design strategy for today and can preserve local cultural resources, conserve natural resources, keep tons of waste out of the landfill and often save money at the same time!

It is important, however, to approach a Historic Preservation project with sensitivity when considering incorporating green building strategies. Slapping some PV panels onto the building would be an even less successful green strategy in a historic preservation project than it is in any green building project. Depending on the intended use of the project after completion and the historic preservation goals for the project, there is a broad range of green building strategies that could be incorporated into the project. For example, beyond upgrades to the buildings equipment and fixtures, alternative power sources such as geothermal, remote wind power or remote ground mount PV installations could be considered (especially for remote or “off-grid” locations) that are hidden underground at the building site. In addition, rigid insulation and wiring can be effectively hidden behind traditional plastering methods at building interiors to upgrade the thermal envelope and systems, if necessary. These are just a couple examples of how the addition of new technologies can be incorporated into a project without compromising the integrity of the preservation goals. The important and pivotal piece of the success of the project becomes the prioritization and communication of the project goals. Effective project planning, prioritization of the project goals and a little bit of creativity and innovation can lead to a very successful and sustainable historic preservation project!

Originally posted 2009-10-15 00:15:30.

The Four Treatments for Historic Properties

Anthony Ries — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 06:01:08 +0000

When working with, or evaluating, federally registered historic structures it is important to understand the basic approaches that can be taken in regards to modifications.

Rehabilitation: This treatment is when an owner wants to maintain the historic character of the building yet use it for a use that is compatible with the existing type of building. Under this set of guidelines a historic building can altered, repaired and added on to while still preserving the areas of the building that have historical value.
Preservation: In preservation the historic building is maintained in its current form. The historic form, integrity and materials are preserved.
Restoration: Sometimes it is important or desired to accurately depict the character of a certain time. Under this treatment a historic structure may have additions and alterations removed and missing features reconstructed so that the structure is as accurate and true to its time as possible.
Reconstruction: Sometimes there are surviving photographs of a historic structure that depict important features that are no longer present. Reconstruction attempts to depict that non-existent feature through new construction. The intent is to replicate the buildings appearance during a specific time as accurately as possible.

Further information can be found at: http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/tps/standguide/overview/using_standguide.htm

EV Studio to work with HistoriCorps

Elicia Ratajczyk — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:30:22 +0000

EV Studio has been selected to work with HistoriCorps, a new public-private partnership organization formed earlier this year. Elicia Ratajczyk of the Evergreen office met yesterday with HistoriCorps director, Jonas Landes and performed a Site Survey of the historic Kortright Cabin near the ghost-town of Bonanza, Colorado. The cabin originally belonged to Doctor and Assayer S.E. Kortright around the turn of the century and sat at the nucleus of the town of Exchequer immediately next to the Exchequer Mill. Plans for the cabin will include rehabilitation as a rustic short-term rental unit, historic preservation strategies, ADA accessibility and may also include sustainability strategies such as water capture and/or renewable energy electricity production.

HistoriCorps was formed out of a partnership between the National Forest Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture), Colorado Preservation Inc. and the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado aimed at "engaging a network of volunteers and professionals to preserve and rehabilitate historic places". The organization is modeled after organizations such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Peace Corps, and AmeriCorps and the work beginning this year in Colorado is considered a "Pilot Program" intended to be implemented across the nation in subsequent years. The following excerpt comes from the public announcement on the Colorado Preservation Inc. website:

HistoriCorps is a public-private partnership that will create jobs for young adults, teach preservation maintenance and traditional building skills and advance sustainable technology for historic buildings. Colorado Preservation, Inc. will provide supervision, preservation specialists, training and administrative support. The U.S. Forest Service will provide resources and the benefit of partnerships cultivated over the past decade. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado will manage the volunteer/trainee component. Individual projects will build on existing local and community based partnerships.

EV Studio is excited about the opportunity to work with HistoriCorps and is very pleased to be able to combine our professional design, historic preservation and sustainability expertise in projects that will become assets to the State of Colorado and will help the pilot program become a great success!

Kortright Cabin near Bonanza, Colorado

An Interview with Elicia Ratajczyk, LEED-AP, Associate at EVstudio

Elicia Ratajczyk — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:00:08 +0000

Elicia at fountain in Washington Square

Hello! I am Elicia Ratajczyk and I have been a part of EV Studio for a little more than two years now, based out of the Evergreen Office. I have more than 30 different projects so far, which have included everything from deck additions to home additions to full commercial & residential new construction to sustainability and green certification projects. I believe that the variety of projects that we have at EV Studio is one of the firm’s great strengths and is also one of my favorite aspects of the firm. I am currently working a great variety of projects including the redesign of the Evergreen Mercantile (previously the BMC building) in Bergen Park, an affordable housing project on Black Mountain, and Tenant Improvement plans for both the Diamond Building and Evergreen Terraces.

Where is your hometown?

Actually, I am an Evergreen native! I have lived in a few other places in my life including Durango, Denver and a very brief time in New Hampshire but I have lived most of my life on the same mountain where my parents lived when I was born. I live there now with my husband, David, and am raising my own son less than a mile from my childhood home. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of such a great firm right here in my hometown. It keeps the commute to a minimum and I enjoy working within the close-knit building community here. It is exciting to work on such a variety of projects, to have the opportunity to work with so many of the local builders, business owners and residents in the Evergreen area and be able to play a role in developing the fabric of my hometown. It is a great amenity, however, having the connection to urban projects and organizations through our Denver office and making national connections through our Texas office as well.

What's community activities are you involved in?

My involvement in the community through EV Studio has also given me a range of wonderful opportunities to become involved with a number of organizations and activities outside of the office. I am currently the Chair of the Construction Committee for the Blue Spruce Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and a co-founder of the Evergreen chapter of Greendrinks International which we call Ever Green Drinks. In addition, I am involved in a number of organizations in the Denver area concerned with sustainability and green building including the Colorado Chapter of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the Emerging Green Builders (EGB), the Colorado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE). EV Studio is a national member organization of the U.S. Green Building Council as well. One of my favorite community endeavors has been working on the Organization Committee for the Colorado Natural Talent Design Competition. I have been involved in the organization of the competition since 2007 with the EGB and the Colorado USGBC. I was a competitor on the winning team in the Colorado competition of 2006 and our team went on to win an Honorable Mention for Systems Innovation in the National Competition that same year. The competition was such a great experience for me that I decided to become involved in making sure that the opportunity remained available to Colorado’s emerging design professionals. I truly believe that the competition is a great venue for showcasing the innovation and creativity that we have here in Colorado that is, at the same time, progressing toward sustainability. It has been wonderful to be able to help make that happen.

What brought you to a career in Architecture?

I grew up in a family involved in design and construction with a grandfather who was a mechanical engineer for the mining industry, an uncle who helped develop one of the very first CADD programs and my mother who was a drafter. I began working for my mother’s contract drafting business as a CADD (Computer Aided Design & Drafting) drafter while I was still in high school and have worked in a variety of areas of the construction industry including environmental & geophysical engineering, civil engineering, MEP engineering, structural engineering, landscape architecture, space planning & interior design but what I loved was architecture! I love the unique “puzzle” that is inherent in each different project & site and I love working with the clients on the creation of their dreams. I am also very dedicated to and passionate about sustainability and green building and that is one of the major reasons that I decided to pursue an education in architecture. I have been a LEED-AP (accredited professional) since 2005 but I believe that sustainability is much deeper than achieving professional accreditation or certification for a project. Although there are a number of green building certification programs available, the concepts and strategies behind achieving them are the same. The truly successful green building project balances the environmental opportunities and obstacles of the project with the economic and social aspects of the project to achieve a sustainability that affects everyone involved in the project including the owners, designers, builders, tenants, users & community.

What Universities did you attend?

I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2004 and then my Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2006. While attending the University I focused my elective studies on Sustainable Design & received a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation as well.

I have completed all of my internship requirements and am now in the process of taking my ARE’s (Architectural Registration Exams) in preparation for architectural licensing.