Page 27 - State College, PA Design Guidelines

• 06.28.2018

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENT OF

SUSTAINABILITY

The environmental component of sustainability tends to be the
main focus when discussing historic structures and their relationship to
green building. Among other things, this component focuses on saving energy,
and generating it through “clean” methods, as well as minimizing the demand
for water and conserving building materials.

Embodied Energy EMBODIED ENERGY
Embodied energy is defined as the amount of energy expended to create the For more information on the
original building and its components. Preserving a historic structure retains significance of embodied energy,
this energy. If demolished, this investment in embodied energy is lost and review the Report on Historic
significant new energy demands are required to replace it. Studies confirm Preservation and Sustainability, prepared
that the loss of embodied energy associated with replacing an existing for the Washington State Department
structure takes three decades or more to recoup from reduced operating of Archaeology and Historic
energy costs in a high-efficiency replacement building. Preservation. To review a hard copy
of the document, visit the Planning
Department.
Building Materials

Many traditional building materials used in State College have long life cycles,
which contribute to their sustainability. Wood, stone and brick are examples.
Newer materials may be less sustainable and require extraction of raw, non-
renewable materials. High levels of energy are involved in production, and the
new materials will often also have an inherently short lifespan.

The sustainable nature of historic construction is best illustrated by a
window. Older windows were built with well-seasoned wood from stronger,
durable, weather resistant old growth forests. A historic window can be
repaired by re-glazing and patching and splicing the wood elements. Many
windows that have been installed in the past 25 years cannot be repaired
and must be replaced entirely. If a seal is disturbed in a vinyl window the best
approach is to replace that particular window, rather than repair the part,
as is the case for a historic wood window. Furthermore, even newer wood
windows don’t have the same qualities displayed in historic wood windows
and are less durable.

CHAPTER 2 • HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PROJECT PLANNING • INFORMATIONAL 21