Old buildings are gaining momentum! Mainstream media outlets are finally catching on and identifying how existing buildings are the way-to-go in terms of a sustainable future.

As the preservation movement morphs to include a “change is good” approach for less historically significant modern-era buildings, sustainability is making waves. Working with existing structures is a creative challenge, and adaptive reuse projects are becoming cool or trendy for rather that new construction. As churches and industrial buildings are transformed into housing, recycling has never been so popular.

MTBA has been talking about deep green retrofits to many modern-era buildings for many years. Ottawa’s modern heritage represents a significant portion of existing federally owned buildings, many of which will require extensive retrofits as they near the end of their life expectancy.

Part of this includes recognizing the significance and importance of modern buildings.  Many of these buildings represent technological advancements in the construction world related to materials, products or systems. From a conservation perspective, modern buildings represent heritage value, worthy of protection by retrofits and rehabilitation.

As worded by Japanese Architect, Jo Nagasaka, “The pursuit of instant perfection is not as interesting as the process of gradual renewal … what renovation is about.” A new book from photographer Michel Arnaud shows dozens of examples across the United States, exploring adaptive reuse spaces all over the country.

The environmental movement is growing, both related to the world of construction and our everyday lives. The realities associated with climate change are becoming more frequent, Canadians and other countries are realizing that the most effective first step in becoming more sustainable is using what we already have.