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Fact or fiction: Demystifying the myths around going green – Moving toward a more sustainable architecture

401 Richmond Street, Toronto – an example of a green roof

"The word “sustainability” has become so over-used that it is starting to sound hollow. Before we can discuss architectural sustainability, we need to return to the terminology itself."

By

Sean Fraser

Buildings and architecture, Environment

Published Date:15 Nov 2007

Photo: 401 Richmond Street, Toronto – an example of a green roof

Sustainable: able to be maintained at a certain rate or level . . . conserving an ecological balance by avoiding a depletion of natural resources (Oxford English Dictionary)

Using this vision of sustainability, let’s consider some prevailing myths that may inhibit our ability to develop environmentally responsible architecture. Following each myth is a counter-proposal that recaptures the objective of sustainability. These ideas are controversial and provocative, but they also reflect the core ethos of the conservation movement in both cultural and natural heritage.

Myth: We can build our way to sustainability

New green buildings, products and materials are more sustainable than existing ones. If all our new buildings are green, we will solve our sustainability challenges.

Proposal: Invest in existing building stock

The current green wash of the marketplace can divert us from the real solution. Our approach to sustainability must move from an assumption of new construction to a mindset where renovation, rehabilitation and recycling are the norm. Architecture is long-term infrastructure that must be retained for centuries – not a commodity to be discarded within a generation.

Myth: Science will save us

Technology exists to provide luxury and ensure that we continue to purchase newer and better products. Given enough time and incentives, new technology and scientific innovation will solve all our energy, pollution and resource depletion challenges.

Proposal: Wants aren’t needs

A more noble purpose of technology should be to make our lives better, to ease suffering and ensure that we survive and prosper. Our environmental impact is mostly driven by our wasteful rate of personal consumption – shopping as recreation. The planet is a closed system with finite resources. Technology can help us use our resources wisely, but corporate, community and personal restraint are also required.

Historical architectural debris from Toronto’s Walnut Hall – a designated heritage building that was demolished in 2007

Myth: Newer is better

Better technology, innovative materials and green design make new buildings sustainable, while older buildings are inefficient.

Proposal: The wisdom of traditional building technology

We expect older buildings to perform like modern ones and sometimes this makes historic buildings appear less efficient. Before we evaluate new versus old, we need to evaluate the expectations themselves. One of the most challenging issues in modern building practice is the artificial isolation of interiors from our natural environment, akin to living in a bubble. This has major philosophical, architectural, environmental and technological repercussions that are difficult to overcome. It is extravagant, unrealistic and unhealthy to isolate ourselves completely from the environment. A traditional building responds to the seasons and reminds us that all architecture – interior and exterior – is part of the environment. We need shelter, but we shouldn’t be hermetically sealed into our shelters.

Myth: Higher density is more sustainable

If we build as densely as possible, we can benefit from an economy of scale with respect to public infrastructure – from transportation and roads to water, power and sewage.

Proposal: Urban form must be durable, serviceable and reasonable

High urban density may be a laudable objective, but the urban form the density takes will dramatically impact its long-term sustainability. Taller isn’t always greener. While density may lead to savings in one sector, it may cost in others. For instance, with building heights over 10 storeys, the stack effect forces a reliance on year-round mechanical air conditioning. Eventually, the cost of electricity and other factors may make high-rise construction no longer viable – especially when combined with the short life cycle of some cladding systems.

Window repairs using traditional glazing methods at historic Fryfogel Tavern (Perth County). The Trust holds a conservation easement on Fryfogel Tavern.

Window repairs using traditional glazing methods at historic Fryfogel Tavern (Perth County). The Trust holds a conservation easement on Fryfogel Tavern.

Myth: Sustainability must be weighed against economics

New construction is a pillar of our economy. The objectives of sustainable architecture must be weighed against larger economic and political priorities.

Proposal: Environmental destruction is not economically sustainable

The modern construction industry relies on mass-produced prefabricated building systems shipped from long distances rather than customized building systems that are labour-intensive and locally available. While change will require a global economic realignment, industry must evolve as well.

Myth: Low maintenance is green

Minimizing or eliminating maintenance is an objective of sustainable design.

Proposal: Labour is the most renewable resource

Common sense teaches us that everything wears out and needs attention over time. We must plan for maintenance and repair in the design of all buildings – new and existing, heritage and non-heritage – effectively investing in craft and labour rather than replacing entire building systems when a single component fails.

Sustainability requires that we retain, understand and conserve existing building stock. It will take public education and building consensus, but the tide is turning – albeit slowly – in favour of conservation.

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Fort York, Toronto. © Ontario Tourism 2008

The past empowered

The buildings, structures and landscapes that comprise our cultural heritage are products of the intricate interplay between people and place over time. What is preserved...

The Sir Aemilius Irving House, Hamilton

Have you seen this building?

In November 2007, the Sir Aemilius Irving House in Hamilton was demolished by its owner to make way for a new building. Unfortunately, local heritage...

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse – a citizen’s legacy

When the province of Ontario introduced the 1847 Common Schools Act, municipalities were given the power to introduce taxes to fund public education. Toronto city...

St. Raphael’s Ruins

Counting our blessings

Built in Glengarry in 1821, St. Raphael’s Church was one of Ontario’s earliest Roman Catholic churches. Constructed under the supervision of Alexander Macdonell – Upper...

Traditional building materials (McMartin House, Perth)

Building assets

Which is more sustainable – an artificial or live Christmas tree? This is an environmentalist’s conundrum, and it illustrates the paradox of “sustainable” building materials...

Repairs to the Gordon Block, Stratford (2007)

The guiding principles of sustainable architecture

In the late 1990s, the Ontario Ministry of Culture introduced Eight Guiding Principles in the Conservation of Built Heritage Properties, which are in common use...

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) – special concern provincially and nationally

Sustaining species at risk

Ontario, with its broad geography, is blessed with incredible biologically diverse landscapes. Most of us take this amazing biodiversity for granted and do not fully...

Beaver River Wetland (Photo: Lou Wise)

Exploring the Beaver River Wetland

In June 2007, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) hosted a celebration to recognize the private and public efforts to protect two recently acquired...

Sheppard’s Bush, main house

Inside Sheppard’s Bush

Charles Sheppard (1876-1967) moved to the Town of Aurora in 1921, after making his fortune in the Simcoe County lumber industry. Brooklands, his modest estate...

View of the Don Valley Brick Works site, looking south (Photo courtesy of Evergreen)

Evergreen Brick Works: Rethinking space

Evergreen – a national charity – builds the relationship between nature, culture and community in urban spaces. With its revitalization of Toronto’s Don Valley Brick...

A 1930s view of the town site taken from the north, looking towards the mill (Photo courtesy of The Ron Morel Memorial Museum, Kapuskasing)

Discovering the City Beautiful

On July 25, 2007, the Ontario Heritage Trust and the Town of Kapuskasing unveiled a provincial plaque to commemorate the town plan that helped shape...

Tip Top Lofts, Toronto (Photo: Context Development)

Sustainability for old buildings: A developer’s perspective

Adaptive reuse provides a sound and sustainable approach to the renewal of our urban fabric, as illustrated by the conversion of three Toronto buildings to...

Casement windows of the Oval Boardroom

In praise of older windows

Façade: a word of double-edged meaning. Architecturally, it refers to the face of a building. In literature, more often than not, it connotes a front...

Fraserfield, South Glengarry

Building on our successes

The Ontario Heritage Trust’s heritage conservation easements conserve some of Ontario’s most significant heritage sites. Good stewardship of easement properties includes regular maintenance and periodic...

Barnum House

The story of Barnum House

Barnum House, on the north side of Highway 2 (Danforth Road), west of Grafton is historically significant for its association with the Barnum family. It...

$29 million restoration of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre by the Trust in 1987-89 (Photo: George Pelekis)

The R’s of conservation

An earlier generation spoke of the three R’s as “Reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.” They were the fundamentals of education in the 19th century and considered...

Battlefield House

Battlefield House Museum and Park – A pioneer in the history of preservation

Nestled under the Niagara Escarpment and situated in a park connected to the Bruce Trail, Battlefield House Museum National Historic Site in Stoney Creek is...

The Mason-Girardot House – a Victorian Italianate house built c. 1879 in the former town of Sandwich – is one of the properties participating in Windsor’s heritage property tax relief program

Leading the way in municipal heritage planning

What’s happening in your community? With significant amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act in April 2005 and a strengthening of the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS)...

A monarch butterfly

Species at risk: The monarch butterfly (danaus plexippus)

The beautiful Monarch butterfly is the most recognized butterfly in North America. What is not commonly known is that it is also a species at...

Clark-McCleary House, rear elevation

Exploring Country Heritage Park

In March 2006, the Ontario Heritage Trust acquired a cultural conservation easement on Country Heritage Park. Located in Milton, this designed heritage attraction was created...

Hiking the Oaks Ridges Moraine Trail

Along the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail

Hiking along the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail offers a memorable experience. Situated close to the Greater Toronto Area, the Trail provides an opportunity to encounter...

Fulford Place

Heritage conservation at our front door

The term “porte-cochère” has continental flair, though humble origins. In French, it means “carriage door” and originally referred to a covered entryway into a courtyard...

Homewood Museum in Maitland

Heritage by numbers

Ontario’s heritage is an immense and complex jigsaw puzzle. Every individual element of heritage creates a whole . . . a sort of heritage by...

Parading into the Spencerville Mill grounds is the Glengarry Pipe Band (Photo: The Spencerville Mill Foundation)

Saving the Spencerville Mill – Preserving community heritage

The Spencerville Mill, a fine cut-stone flour and grist mill, is located on the bank of the South Nation River in the small rural village...

Today, the Ashbridge Estate is widely known in Toronto’s east end for its lush gardens. The Estate is owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Its extensive collection of artifacts and archaeological discoveries celebrate the evolution of the Ashbridge family.

The biography of a house: If these walls could speak

Researching family history is a popular pastime for many who want to uncover their family’s unique past and discover how they contributed to Ontario’s growth...

Butterfly milkweed (Photo: Karen Abel)

It’s not easy staying green: Working for a green and healthy Ontario

Natural heritage conservation can be traced back to the early times of the First Nations, whose close relationship with nature was reflected in religious beliefs...

Peterborough's Market Hall, before

Winning the battle

There are countless examples across the province of successful restorations of Ontario’s treasured heritage sites. Although the challenges are great – funding being the primary...

Peel Heritage Complex, Brampton

Our cultural heritage places: how heritage buildings adapt

Although heritage remains a year-round activity for many of us, Heritage Day is celebrated annually on the third Monday in February. This year’s theme speaks...

George Brown House

Snapshots of the past

A flash of phosphorus. A whiff of smoke. And an image is captured. Photographs have chronicled our lives for over 150 years, remaining one of...

Detail of reproduced George Brown House central hall wallpaper

Historic wallpaper: Finding what’s beneath

Wallpapers first appeared in Canada as early as the mid-17th century. These oldest papers were block-printed, hand-painted or stenciled. Pattern and colour was applied to...

Penetanguishene Centennial Museum and Archives

Small-town museums key to small-town success

For 18 years, my wife and I raised our two sons in the Town of Richmond Hill just north of Toronto. When we moved to...

Upper Canada’s first parliament buildings

Breaking news: Saving our First Parliament

It was announced on December 21, 2005 that the site of Ontario’s first parliament buildings in Toronto has been saved. The Ontario Government, in partnership...

A bequest from Barbara Elizabeth Jacquith of Carolinian forest contains a tributary of the Credit River and an important water recharge area

Protecting natural spaces in Southern Ontario

On August 3, 2005 the provincial government announced the creation of the Natural Spaces Program, which included a $6-million allocation to the Ontario Heritage Trust...

Macdonell-Williamson House

Unearthing the past: Discoveries at Macdonell-Williamson House

Built in 1817, Macdonell-Williamson House in eastern Ontario reflects the ambitions and aspirations of retired fur trader, John Macdonell. His life was fraught with financial...

The earliest brick structure in the City of Hamilton – the Book House, located in Ancaster – was recently lost to a suspected case of arson. (Photo: Sharon Vattay, City of Hamilton)

Moving forward with heritage conservation

Thirty years ago, when the Ontario Heritage Act was new, I was a young planner with about a year’s experience working in London, England and...

This decorative cupola adorns McMartin House, a Foundation property in Perth

The healthy roof: Staying on top of heritage preservation

The following excerpt appears in Well-Preserved: The Ontario Heritage Foundationʼs Manual of Principles and Practice for Architectural Conservation (Third Revised Edition), by Mark Fram (Boston...

Mrs. Greenwood donated this property in the memory of her late husband; it will be known as the John Edward (Ted) Greenwood Sanctuary (Photo: Sylvia Barkman)

New natural heritage easement properties

John Edward (Ted) Greenwood Sanctuary On March 30, 2005, the Ontario Heritage Foundation received – from Mary Greenwood of Nakara, Australia – a 100-acre (40-...

Coldwater Grist Mill – serving the community since 1833; an active part of Doors Open Huronia since 2002

The new Ontario Heritage Act: The evolution of heritage conservation

An important shift has occurred in Ontario’s legislative framework for heritage conservation. On April 28, 2005, the Ontario Heritage Amendment Act (Bill 60) received royal...

Trent University, Peterborough

Trent University under the modernist microscope

Throughout the developed world, attention is being given to the built heritage of the modern era. Organizations such as UNESCO's World Heritage Center, the International...

The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre (Toronto). In 1987, a basement is excavated under the lobby corridor, and the grand staircase is suspended in the air.

Working with superstructures: The framework for Ontario's heritage buildings

Last issue, we discussed the importance of a solid foundation when preserving heritage structures. In this issue, we see how a buildingʼs skeleton holds everything...

Leidra Lodge

Leidra Lodge – A new conservation easement

June Ardiel has been a patron and leader in Ontario's arts community all her life. She has authored a book on the public art of...

Toronto-Dominion Centre (Photo: The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd.)

The changing face of heritage: The International Style – Toronto’s Toronto-Dominion Centre

In the second quarter of the 20th century following the First World War, Europe saw the emergence of a significant movement in architecture. This “modern”...

Homewood Museum in Maitland

The Homewood collection

As you drive east along Highway 2 between Brockville and Prescott, you will find the robust Georgian Homewood Museum deeply set back from the road...

Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site

Inside Uncle Tom's Cabin

At a bend in the Sydenham River near the town of Dresden stands Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site. The museum – built on the site...

The Sharon Temple

The Sharon Temple and the heritage of faith

While most of Canada celebrates Heritage Day on the third Monday in February, Ontario celebrates Heritage Week. The theme developed for Ontario Heritage Week 200...

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