Existing Buildings
The embodied impacts of renovation are usually dramatically lower than the impacts of new construction.
Although many existing buildings leave something to be desired in terms of aesthetics and comfort, they are part of the urban and suburban fabric now, and they aren’t going anywhere. And reusing these buildings is an immense creative opportunity.
Existing Buildings
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Six Ways Existing Buildings Can Save the Planet
Feature Short
Renovations, retrofits, and better-informed O&M will determine how quickly the developed world slows its carbon emissions.
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Historic Preservation and Green Building: A Lasting Relationship
Feature Article
Rehabilitation of existing buildings is important to sustainability in buildings, but with historic buildings, green building and preservationism can diverge. With attention to preservation standards and suitable application of green strategies, however, those agendas can be aligned.
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Cost-Effective Green Retrofits: Opportunities for Savings in Existing Buildings
Feature Article
Between lighting, water use, mechanical systems, the building envelope, and occupant health, existing buildings are rife with cost-effective retrofits and operational opportunities that also offer environmental benefits. Improvements range from the painfully obvious to the more complex and involved.
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Design for Adaptation: Living in a Climate-Changing World
Feature Article
Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, rising global temperatures would still bring major changes to the climate system and our way of life. This article offers solutions for designing buildings that not only mitigate our impact on the global climate, but also adapt to the changes that are coming-and those that are already here.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Checklist for Implementing an Occupant Engagement Campaign
Infographic
Use this checklist as a guide to implementing an occupant engagement campaign.
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Retrofit or Build New? How Product Teams are Choosing
Infographic
Reasons to retrofit, reasons to tear down and build new, and how to decide.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Retrofitting Exterior Foam on Existing Walls
Product Review
The R-etro System from Quad-Lock makes installing exterior foam for deep-energy retrofits easier and less expensive.
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An Efficient Retrofit for Commercial Hot Water on Demand
Product Review
D'Mand Circ for commercial buildings recirculates hot water only when it's needed, saving fuel and electricity-and even the pipes.
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Making Wall Outlets Safer—and Smarter
Product Review
In addition to protecting against electric shock and fire, SafePlug uses RFID tags to help track energy use from individual appliances and turn them on and off remotely.
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Faade Retrofit Puts An Efficient New Face on Old Buildings
Product Review
Schüco's ERC 50 Modernization Façade is a modular retrofit system that improves the looks and thermal performance of a building with minimal occupant disruption.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Guidelines in Development for Residential Remodeling
News Analysis
The Regreen program aims to give residential remodeling designers and contractors, as well as homeowners, an integrated guide to making their projects green.
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Cities Move to Improve Energy Efficiency
News Analysis
Three cities have released plans that would require energy-efficient retrofits of existing buildings.
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Existing Buildings a Promising Investment, Say Global Firms
News Analysis
Policies and creative financing tools are key to boosting building retrofits, says a World Economic Forum report.
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Window Film: An Overlooked Retrofit Option?
News Analysis
In mild climates, window film pays for itself faster than more popular retrofits, an industry report argues.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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We Must Decarbonize Existing Buildings by 2050—but How?
Feature Article
Curbing carbon emissions requires that we address our vast stock of existing buildings. Here’s how to make the case and get it done.
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Build More or Build Green? Affordable Housing’s False Choice
Feature Article
The housing crisis is also a climate crisis and a social equity crisis. If we change our ways, we can address them all at once.
Just For Fun
Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...
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Inspired by 2021 Pritzker Winner, Bjarke Ingels Renounces New Construction
April Fools
News that BIG will no longer design new buildings shocks the architecture profession.
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ILFI Debuts Self-Help Affirmations for Existing Buildings
April Fools
Outdated, inefficient buildings find a new path forward—and inward.
