Lasting Value
Jul 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Mark Jolicoeur and Melanie Kahl
Retrofitting historic school buildings can provide benefits beyond the bottom line.
An adaptive-reuse project at Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest, Ill., converted the gymnasium into a media center. Its high ceilings and spacious layout provide a collegiate feel for students. Photo courtesy of George Lambros
More than 10 years ago, the U.S. Department of Education estimated that the average age of American school facilities was 40 years. With the slowing education construction market, we can assume that this age is continuing to rise. And this system of aging school facilities begs the question: Renovate or replace?
When schools are looking at their shrinking resources and ever-growing list of demands, smart financial planning and high-value capital investments are of primary importance. For any given facility, three options are available for school decisionmakers:
•Renovation.
•New construction.
•Selective demolition and renovation.
These options provide the basis for organizing a facility analysis. It is important to keep in mind that the best solution takes into account an education institution’s long-term goals, objectives and condition of existing facilities.
For the long term
More and more, institutions are considering long-term benefits over the first-time cost. Historically, education institutions have focused on the construction costs and may not have used due diligence to examine the highest return on investment over an extended period of time (10 to 20 years). When deciding whether to renovate or replace, schools should evaluate the long-term benefits of reusing all or portions of existing facilities.
Determining the long-term return on investment comes from a comprehensive consideration of construction and total project costs. The primary financial gains of reuse are attributed to avoiding the cost of acquiring new land, demolishing existing facilities, building new infrastructure and purchasing new construction materials. Renovating historic facilities to accommodate 21st-century academic and extracurricular programs may cost more in planning services, but the long-term savings of reuse often outweigh the initial costs.
Communities that choose to renovate existing structures find that the benefits extend beyond savings. Not always quantifiable, these benefits are manifested in improved public health, lower property taxes, saved gas and a strengthened community. Architects, urban planners, community members, preservationists and political leaders often promote the advantages of creative reuse and renovation of education facilities, especially in regions marked by historic architectural character. The rewards are varied:
•An opportunity to upgrade and streamline existing building systems to modern standards.
•Opportunities to minimize programmatic disruption through phased development, leading to quicker occupancy and decreased impact on productivity.
•Increased sustainability by minimizing ecological disruption via site retention and energy savings. Avoiding complete demolition, minimizing new construction, and capturing the embodied energy of existing building materials and assemblies may lead to significant gains in energy.
•A revitalized community spirit. Older school buildings are more likely to be embedded in neighborhoods. Reinvesting in these older building often increases the walkability of an area, provides a space for community gathering/shared use, and unites generations over a shared educational legacy.
•An opportunity to be architecturally and programmatically creative, to breathe new aesthetic and functional life into a historically relevant space.
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