Heritage and sustainability
"The retention and conservation of heritage places has an important part to play in our actions to protect the environment, creating vibrant communities and sustaining local economies."
[from the Heritage Council of Victoria's policy note on Heritage and Sustainability, 2008.]
Climate change has serious implications for our future. Can the heritage sector develop innovative solutions to reducing environmental impacts, and how quickly do we need to respond to the issues at hand?
This online space is intended for:
- Owners of heritage buildings
- Architects
- Builders
- Government asset managers
- Renovators
- Heritage professionals
Our response
We believe the conservation of heritage places makes an important contribution to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
By retaining heritage places through conservation and maintenance, we can benefit by substantially reducing building, demolition and new construction waste, and conserving the embodied energy of existing buildings.
Heritage buildings have adapted to disabled access and safety requirements, incorporating ramps, sprinklers, smoke detectors.
Innovative thinking by the heritage sector can find ways for heritage buildings to include sustainable adaptations such as solar panels, water tanks and wind generators.
We have produced technical notes on heritage and sustainability:
We held a workshop for local governments about heritage and sustainability. Here are some of the presentations for download.
Our projects
Heritage and sustainability – domestic project
This project will look at:
- how retention of heritage buildings contributes to environmental sustainability
- identify embodied energy in typical domestic buildings
- information for building designers to maker better decisions
- provide evidence for building surveyors on Alternative Solutions under the BCA
- to test industry standard modelling methodology on heritage buildings
- encourage innovative design solutions
RMIT have been commissioned to undertake the project, and due to be complete in September 2009.
This project is jointly funded by Heritage Council, Heritage Victoria, Building Commission, Office of the Victorian Government Architect, DPCD Building Policy, Department of Sustainability and Environment.
Heritage and sustainability – commercial project
Heritage Chairs and Officials Australia and New Zealand (HCOANZ) asked Victoria to develop a proposal for a study of commercial buildings to complement the domestic project.
Tenders have just closed for this Commonwealth funded project. First stage is underway which reviews the current policy and regulation around environmental requirements for existing commercial buildings.
This project aims to:
- review policy and regulation
- determine how retention of heritage buildings contributes to environmental sustainability
- identify embodied energy in typical commercial building types
- inform building designers to maker better decisions
- provide evidence for building surveyors on Alternative Solutions under the BCA
- encourage innovative design solutions
- Commercial Building Project May 2010
For more information on these projects, please contact Paula Judson, Project Manager at paula.judson@dpcd.vic.gov.au.
Resources
These resources are useful for those who own or maintan heritage buildings.
Most of this information comes from Australian and international organisations who provide advice about ways to save energy consumption, use renewable energy supplies and utilise embodied energy.
http://heritage.vic.gov.au/Sustainability/Resources.aspx
Case study
Brod Street's house is an inspiration to those who want to a renovate a heritage home and be environmentally sustainable.
Consider energy efficiency when renovating, but at the same time, being responsive to the heritage of the building and the surrounding neighbourhood.
This case study of renovating a heritage house in Victoria, Australia covers:
- Recycling of original bricks
- Roof top vegetable garden
- Cooling & ventilation
- Heat reflective paint
- Photovoltaic panels
- Solar heating - water
- Rainwater tanks
- Greywater