How can we successfully transform places from the past to meet the needs of the future? What does it mean to turn the places we have into the places we need?
At Quinn Evans, preservation is about much more than maintaining beautiful historic buildings in their original state. We believe it also includes adapting, renewing, and reusing existing buildings—historic or not—in ways that honor their past while renewing their purpose and reimagining their future.
Embracing this more expansive definition of preservation drives us to explore the meaningful transformation of existing buildings into vital, future-ready places. We view every project through three lenses: sustainability, preservation, and community impact. We integrate these perspectives into every project, recognizing that all our work touches an existing fabric: whether in the context of the land, community, or building. We have an opportunity to make a positive impact in all three areas, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Are Preservation and Sustainability Compatible?
Traditionally, preservation has meant restoring buildings that meet certain criteria: designed in a period style or associated with historical figures or events. On the other hand, sustainability is represented by new, smart, minimal buildings. At first, preservation and sustainability may seem to be mutually exclusive.
But our built environment encompasses all kinds of buildings. If we are to substantially affect climate change, we need to consider the whole spectrum from “historic” to just plain “existing” buildings. That's why at Quinn Evans we often use the term "building reuse" rather than "historic preservation."
While many of the projects we work on are buildings of historic significance and beauty—Preservation with a capital P—our practice also includes less noteworthy buildings such as shuttered factories, abandoned rowhouses, and obsolete train stations—also known as little-p preservation.
The importance of working with existing buildings—little-p preservation—is more pressing than ever. The vast majority of buildings that will be occupied by 2050 already exist today, and, as of 2022, more than 50% of architectural billings were attributed to existing buildings. Limiting the concept of preservation to only those buildings that are considered historically significant overlooks much of our existing building stock, the preservation of which also has significant value.
At their core, sustainability and preservation are both philosophies of conservation. The goal in each case is to boost human wellbeing, pass down our legacy, and keep our planet in good condition for future generations.
Tackling Total Carbon
The built environment is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with nearly 40% of carbon emissions attributed to buildings. Traditionally, the focus of emissions reduction efforts has been on new construction, with energy performance and carbon improvements driven by codes and policies primarily targeting new builds and major renovations. However, adopting a conservation mindset means we must also consider the vast opportunity presented by transforming existing buildings to reduce emissions from both operational and embodied carbon.
While operational carbon emissions resulting from the energy used to run our buildings accrue over the building's lifetime, the embodied carbon from manufacturing, transportation, and installation of building materials is a one-time—and very large!—carbon investment. When we work on an existing building, we can address both aspects, making the building more energy- and water-efficient while also avoiding creating large amounts of embodied carbon.
Decarbonizing our built environment requires a multi-faceted approach: reusing existing structures, selecting low-carbon materials, reducing energy demand, and utilizing clean energy sources or offsets. As an early signatory of the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA’s) 2030 Commitment, Quinn Evans is at the forefront of this effort. We are pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with existing buildings.
Building Reuse: A Sustainable Solution
Building reuse is one of the most powerful levers for sustainability. Reimagining and repurposing existing structures allows us to improve operational carbon emissions while reducing the need to manufacture and transport new building materials, significantly reducing embodied carbon impacts.
For instance, our work at the Marie Reed Community Learning Center in Washington, DC, demonstrates how meaningful transformation can create vibrant, accessible spaces with a lighter carbon footprint. This 1970s building was uninviting and inaccessible, with poor daylighting and acoustics. We worked with stakeholders to reimagine the building: enhancing safety, accessibility, and functionality while maintaining the community spirit of its original design. The project resulted in a 52% reduction in energy use and achieved LEED Gold certification. By reusing the building's concrete—a material high in embodied carbon—the renovation saved the equivalent of over 1,200 dump truck loads of concrete from being sent to landfills.
Similarly, Michigan Central Station in Detroit shows how preserving and rehabilitating an iconic building can further sustainability goals without sacrificing architectural heritage and community connection. By retaining and repairing original materials like terra cotta tiles and heavy limestone cladding, three-quarters of the embodied carbon that a new building of its size would generate were avoided. The restoration of the Station ensures that the building remains a sustainable asset for future generations.
Promoting the preservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings helps reduce the need for new construction, saves significant amounts of embodied carbon, and ensures that the places we care about continue to be valuable, vibrant parts of our communities.
The Power of Place in Community Identity
Building reuse also has a significant positive impact on people’s sense of continuity. Buildings are the backdrops of our neighborhoods that become integral to community identity. When we choose to improve and reinvigorate existing buildings, we send a powerful message that we value this community and honor its history by enhancing what is already here rather than replacing it with something new and unfamiliar.
For instance, in our work on the American Brewery in Baltimore, a long-shuttered industrial building was transformed into the vibrant headquarters of Humanim, a community-focused nonprofit. The restoration of the Victorian building, which had been an eyesore for four decades, became a catalyst for more extensive neighborhood revitalization.
This approach stands in stark contrast to the disruptive process of demolishing old buildings and replacing them with new ones. While new construction might be modern and efficient, it lacks a deep connection to the community and may be more likely to lead to negative impacts of urban revitalization, such as gentrification and displacement.
By improving existing buildings rather than replacing them, we send a clear message to communities: this is still your neighborhood. Building reuse also presents the opportunity to enhance accessibility where it has been lacking—helping more people feel welcome and included by the built environment.
Redefining Value
You can only manage what you can measure, but quantifying the value of preserving a building remains a challenge in our industry. The temptation to replace old buildings with new ones, driven by cost and simplicity, overlooks the true value of existing buildings.
Beyond physical factors like embodied carbon, structures like the American Brewery or Michigan Central Station hold community value: having served as the backdrop to daily life for generations of local residents and reflecting a civic pride in who we are, where we've been, and how far we've come.
We are committed to reframing the conversation around value in the built environment. By looking at every project through the lenses of sustainability, preservation, and community impact, we can move towards quantifying physical impacts like carbon emissions as well as the less tangible value of preserving and enhancing community. We can create spaces that are environmentally responsible, culturally rich, and deeply connected to the people they serve through informed decisions that balance the needs of the present with our responsibilities to the future.
Design for Positive Change
Quinn Evans' projects are driven by a big-picture vision of what existing buildings can become. We believe that buildings are not static; they can and should be transformed to meet the needs of the future while preserving the spirit of the past. This vision is not about settling for the status quo but exploring the possibilities for something truly transformational. We ask, "What can this building become?"—and then push the boundaries of what is possible to create spaces that are not only beautiful and functional but also deeply connected to their communities.
For us, preservation is about more than just maintaining the past; it's about creating a sustainable, vibrant, and inclusive future. Reimagining and adapting existing places can reduce our carbon footprint, preserve our cultural heritage, and create spaces that uplift and inspire.
