Project at 415 William Street Sensitive to Sustainability and Historic Fabric

Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Kate – I am a senior Historic Preservation major at the University of Mary Washington and the new Director of Social Media for Habalis Construction, Inc. I met Jay Holloway in the spring while touring Habalis’ project at 415 William Street with my Sustainability and Historic Preservation class. It seems natural that my first blog post would highlight the sustainable aspects of the 415 William project and some of the things I learned in my class.

In the five weeks between touring 415 William with my class and seeing it again at the start of my summer internship, Habalis completed the environmentally and historically sensitive rehabilitation of the 1826 structure fronting William Street and the new construction behind it. The result is truly spectacular! Unfortunately I was not able to see the interior of the building before construction had been underway for several months, but from what I understand, this building has experienced quite a transformation! The site features storefront retail space (with an awesome tin ceiling) and a two-story apartment above in the original structure, as well as a freestanding cottage apartment in the back.

Sustainable elements of the project include a new geothermal heating and cooling system, a system ensuring zero runoff, and the use of natural lighting and recycled materials. Five geothermal wells will provide the heating and cooling to the apartment and retail space in the original structure. The city required that the site have zero runoff, so water from the gutters is directed into the ground, where it is held by gravel before draining into and filtering through the soil. Permeable pavers in the courtyard and permeable concrete in the parking area soak up water as soon as it hits the surfaces. Skylights in the addition to the original structure and windows throughout the two structures provide natural lighting to the retail space and apartments. Materials that were reused in the project include beadboard ceilings and other wood from the removed rear addition and the original porcelain farm sink. And perhaps the most sustainable element of the project was its reuse of an existing building.

The phrase “the greenest building is the one that is already built,” coined by architect Carl Elefante, has become a mantra for preservationists looking to advocate historic preservation through its inherent promotion of environmental sustainability. Donovan Rypkema says, “Historic preservation is the ultimate recycling strategy.” Reusing an existing building preserves the human and mechanical energy that originally went into its construction and is embodied in its materials. Rehabilitation of historic buildings conserves resources used in new construction and prevents demolition waste from ending up in a landfill. On a broader scale, rehabilitating buildings within a historic district promotes environmental and economic sustainability by utilizing existing infrastructure and counteracting low-density urban sprawl.

While historic preservation does and should consider historic significance in valuing structures, we as preservationists must also be aware of the environmental and economic benefits of rehabilitating existing structures, especially since these benefits of historic preservation appeal to the masses.