OLD IS THE NEW GREEN IN GREENVILLE

By Mike Henderson

Our early downtown developers had a lot of insight in how to conserve resources and implement the modern term of “Green Practices”. The month of May is “Historic Preservation Month” and now, more than ever, many individuals are recognizing that some classic old buildings on existing sites are excellent opportunities not only for preservation measures but also to utilize green building practices. Have you ever considered the many green benefits that our historic buildings downtown have to offer? The re-use and modernization of existing structures can capitalize on the best use of old buildings because the foundations, footings and walls are already in place!

There is something natural about our historic buildings being in harmony with green practices. Consider that certain old buildings have features that create opportunities to help save energy. Many of the older structures have thick masonry walls like brick and stone which can help deflect exterior heat and control indoor temperatures. Most of the downtown buildings are attached to each other which reduces the amount of exterior wall space exposed to the elements. This thermal mass will help reduce the heat loss and gain. With taller ceilings found in older buildings, there is room to install under the floor efficient ductwork systems which are an added benefit. There are many large upper floor windows to let in natural light. To incorporate energy savings, storm window glazing can be added while preserving the aesthetics of the building. There are many opportunities inside and outside of our historic buildings to reduce energy costs and promote green building techniques. Some of these techniques include adding light reflective roof coverings to reduce heat gain or “heat island effects”. Low flow plumbing fixtures as well as flushless urinals can easily replace the older style plumbing fixtures to reduce and conserve water usage. Many of the upper floors of the older buildings already have in-place skylights which allow for good day lighting practices to be utilized. Installation of new technology energy efficient fluorescent and LED lighting fixtures can easily be introduced into older buildings.

An excellent example of energy and efficiency is the older style fan system found in the Palace at the corner of 5^th and Broadway. The operation of these fans allows air flow to be drawn down from above and eliminates the need for a drop ceiling. This allows the historic integrity and atmosphere of the building to remain. Some of the buildings downtown also have prism glass in the transom, which many are hidden beneath the front sign board locations. These glass prisms help refract more natural light into the building. Our early building designers knew this was a very good “day lighting” technique that today can help reduce energy usage. A good example of this type of glass prism can be found within the storefronts of the large former Masonic Lodge building adjoining the Public Square near the Post Office.

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit community of leaders working to make green buildings available to everyone within a generation. Their green sustainable site design recommendations seek to protect undeveloped land, reuse/restore previously developed sites, reduce automobile use or promote alternative transportation, reduce heat island effect and provide stewardship of nature whereby farmland, wetlands and habitats for endangered species are preserved.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED is a leading edge system for certifying high performance buildings and sustainable neighborhoods. Recently, I along with four of my co-workers at Mote & Associates passed the LEED Green Associate examination and look forward to encouraging our clients to implement green design practices in their project designs.

Downtown buildings provide excellent community connectivity. Urban sprawl is reduced, green spaces are protected, and existing infrastructure is already in place that can be re-used. Sites with community connectivity typically are in walking distance of basic services.

Basic services are common services that people might use often. Some of these basic services include banks, churches, day care, the fire station, beauty salons, barber shops, library, post office, city and county government services, schools, restaurants, and community gathering spaces such as coffee houses and banquet centers. I am pleased that many of these basic services are still available in a three to four block radius of downtown Greenville. One is amazed at the number of people employed and the services available in such a compact area of the county.

Many of us that work in the downtown area benefit daily with having so many of these basic services located within close proximity of each other. Continued improvement of our downtown amenities, expansion of basic services, increasing our downtown residential living opportunities all contribute to a vibrant downtown. Being able to walk to many of these basic services also helps us cut down on our automobile fuel costs.

As past president of the Main Street Greenville Board and the current design Committee Chairperson, I encourage our young energetic entrepreneurs to check out the green building opportunities available within our historic downtown buildings…because old is the new green.