When Green Building And Historic Preservation Collide

"Many old structures might be restored and preserved in accordance with federal historic standards. And new buildings can be constructed to adhere to increasingly popular "green building" norms.

But melding those principles is an increasingly intriguing concept for architects and preservationists, one that has been done in Pittsburgh but remains challenging because of conflicting and, in some cases, nonexistent criteria."

" 'It's not easy to certify a historic building' as a green structure, said Cathy McCollom, program director at the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, which with the South Side-based Green Building Alliance organized the summit. 'But what's more green than using an existing structure? You don't fill a landfill by throwing away brick and wood.' "