Unleashing the Economic and Sustainability Power of Existing Buildings

Recorded April 14, 2020

The Smart Growth Network webinar series focuses on emerging issues that span all scales of planning. We led this webinar to delve into the details of building operation and performance with the authors of The Power of Existing Buildings.

Craig Stevenson and Beth Eckenrode of AUROS Group outlined a step-by-step approach to making old buildings perform like new ones. They explained the importance of setting clear, performance-based goals and incorporating technologies like modeling and rapid-fire simulations to ensure design goals are achieved during operations.

They explored why a “major system replacement” is the ideal time to determine what a building’s theoretical, optimum performance is before spending on retrofits, and why investing in existing buildings reduces carbon footprint, fuel poverty, and the inequities of indoor air quality. A lively question and answer session followed.