Preserving Communities Through Building Reuse

Building reuse is about more than sustainability—it’s also about honoring the rich history embedded in our communities.

By revitalizing existing structures, we preserve the stories and memories that define these places, ensuring that they continue to serve and inspire future generations. Hear from our team in the video below about the importance of preserving places for people.

Featuring: Senior Associate Tracy Hucul, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Associate Sara Langmead, AIA, PE, LEED AP; Content Strategist Kristina von Tish, CPSM, LEED Green Associate; Designer Sara Timberlake, LEED Green Associate, NOMA; Architect Ann Goodwin, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Associate Alfredo Davalos, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, NOMA; and Senior Associate Julie Gerber, CID, LEED AP ID+C.

Preserving Communities: Building Reuse

Video Transcript

TRACY HUCUL

These existing buildings carry with them history of our self, of our place, of our community.

SARA LANGMEAD

In order to have a sustainable future, we need to retrofit the buildings that we already use and will continue to use. It saves embodied carbon, but it's also essential to preserve the character of a place. And that's what ties communities together.

KRISTINA VON TISH

We are going to reuse a building any way we can because we think it's better for the environment. We think it's better for communities.

SARA TIMBERLAKE

There are these buildings that have stories that are attached to them based on the different communities that come there, the different people who go to work there, the different people who have come to see different shows and build these memories over time.

ANN GOODWIN

We are keeping the living tradition of place and that rich history each place has.

ALFREDO DAVALOS

We want to make sure that the things that matter to, to that community stay, right, but not only stay, that we can make them better, that can serve them better.

TRACY HUCUL

And to be able to take these existing buildings and transform them or modernize them into high performing buildings, it's not only wonderful in this sense that we are creating a sustainable solution, but we're also preserving the history of our communities.