Renovate Buildings, Don't Build From Scratch
Yesterday I attended a talk at The Canadian Centre for Architecture given by members of HouseEurope!, an organization of architects pushing for laws which will encourage the renovation/restoration/adaptation of buildings using pre-used materials where possible as opposed to demolition and rebuilding from scratch.
They make some bold claims about the benefits of renovation:
↗︎ Renovation saves homes by keeping prices stable.
↗︎ Renovation saves jobs by boosting local markets.
↗︎ Renovation saves energy by preserving what is there.
↗︎ Renovation saves history by valuing the existing.
The organization pushes for tax and zoning reform to encourage renovation over demolition. Something we could use over here as well.
Tags: Architecture, Design, Environment, Urbanism