Historic and listed buildings have a vital role to play in our future. Through their preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse we help to create future-ready towns and cities - unique, beautiful and sustainable places where everyone can thrive.  

A resource to be preserved for future generations 

The contribution of historic and listed buildings to sustainable development may not at first glance seem obvious. Most heritage buildings were not, after all, built with energy and carbon efficiency in mind. But WSP’s Martin Sing who heads up sustainability and energy for the Centre Block Rehabilitation, the largest, most complex, heritage rehabilitation project ever undertaken in Canada – and one of the largest in the world – says that conserving our global heritage and tackling climate change are not mutually exclusive.

“On the contrary, they both share the common goal of preserving our resources for future generations,” he says. “Heritage conservation principles teach us the value of preserving and protecting historic buildings for future generations. Sustainability (amplified by the lens of climate change) teaches us the value of preserving and protecting all resources for future generations.” 

Heritage at risk from climate change…  

Our heritage buildings and structures are increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate change. “Our built heritage is threatened in different measure in all parts of the world by the damage wrought by changing weather patterns, extremes of temperature, increasing storm activity and flooding,” says Chessa Stevens, our national built heritage lead in New Zealand.

“Strategies for the preservation of heritage buildings and structures in response to climate change are not always a large-scale, dynamic or intensive process. Here in New Zealand, we often complete targeted intervention and focused protection of smaller sites at a local level.” 

Read the full article here.