Spring Greening

Touring the Lower 9 With Mack McClendon

I just came across this terrific short video, featuring the Village’s Mack McClendon on a tour through the still-recovering neighborhoods of the Lower Ninth Ward.

This piece was made by filmmakers Bill Bowles and Max Livingstone, both originally from California, who documented their travels “From Minneapolis to New Orleans in 80 Days” as part of their special film project, the Big River Show, last summer.

Updates from Dauphine Street

Last year we worked on three houses at 5200, 5116 and 5115 Dauphine Street. The work continued well after Historic Green was over so here are photo updates from Pam Bryan at the Preservation Resource Center (PRC) in New Orleans. PRC was our partner in the projects. 5200 Dauphine is slated to be the new home for the CSED, while 5115 Dauphine and 5116 Dauphine will be up for sale in the near future.
Above left is an interior of 5115, taken from the front shop looking towards the rear of the house. Above right is a view of the house from the corner of Dauphine and Lizardi streets. Below is a view of the rear of the house.

Above is the front of 5116. Below left is a picture of the interior looking through the front window. And below right is a picture of the new bracket common to this style of shotgun.
Below is the 5200 Dauphine site, which will feature the new home of the Center for Sustainable Engagement & Development (CSED).

Saving Shotguns: Aiming for a Better Future

Thanks to Sheryl Davis for finding this workshop on shotgun house restoration, to be sponsored by the Heritage Conservation Network:

SAVING "SHOTGUNS" - AIMING FOR A BETTER FUTURE
CAIRO, ILLINOIS USA
Dates:    June 7-20, 2009

"HCN's workshop in Cairo takes you not to the land of pyramids and ancient tombs, but rather to the southernmost tip of Illinois – a place steeped in US history. Cairo (pronounced "kay-ro") was headquarters for General Grant at the beginning of the Civil War, was the central hub for steamboat traffic, was known for its blues musicians, saw intense civil rights activity, and was for many years the economic and cultural center for the region. It also has an incredible array of architecture. In the past 50 years, Cairo has suffered tremendously from the economic depression that plagues the region and is now a virtual ghost town, its historic buildings lining deserted streets.

In a last-ditch effort to save their city, the community has come together and formed the Cairo VISION 20-20 Committee. Working in partnership with Southern Illinois University at Carbondale - School of Architecture, HCN, and other organizations, the group has devised a plan to bring community revitalization and economic development to a "New Cairo" by the year 2020. One component of this plan calls for utilizing the city's historic resources to attract businesses, residents, and visitors. HCN and our partners are collaborating on a project to create affordable housing by preserving and rehabilitating a group of historic "shotgun"-style houses. These houses are just some of the more than 350 properties in Cairo already listed on or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places."

For more on the workshop, fees, etc. go here.

BDC: Six reasons why green builders, preservationists should team up

Interesting piece from Building Design & Construction (BDC) magazine earlier this month – about why and how historic preservationists and green builders should team up. This is a recap of Dick Moe’s speech at Greenbuild last month and his six principles that would unite the advocates of sustainability and adaptive reuse:

1. Promote a culture of reuse.
2. Reinvest at a community scale.
3. Learn from heritage buildings.
4. Make use of the economic advantages of reused buildings.
5. Relate historic preservation practices to sustainability.
6. Take immediate, decisive action on public policy.

Read all of “Green builders, preservationists need to team up” here.

Lower Ninth Native Tapped for EPA Top Position

New Orleanian and Lower Ninth native Lisa Jackson, has been picked by President-elect Barack Obama to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. 

If confirmed she'll be the first African American to serve as EPA Administrator.  The announcement was made today as a part of the incoming administrations energy and environmental team.  Steven Chu has been selected for Secretary of Energy and Carol Browner to lead White House council on energy and climate.

To read more on the pick click here.

Majora Carter: Greening the Ghetto

Dick Moe: Preserving Buildings, Preserving the Planet

  IMAGE: National Trust

Dick Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sets the stage for why preserving historic buildings and communities is a key element in combating climate change.Dick Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, sets the stage for why preserving historic buildings and communities is a key element in combating climate change:

"Because historic preservation essentially involves the conservation of energy and natural resources it is really the greenest of the building arts. And in this day and age, preserving and recycling buildings can play a vital role overcoming what may be the greatest crisis and challenge of our time: climate change.
...
We must realize that any solution to climate change must include the continued use and retrofit of our existing buildings. That’s where historic preservation can play a significant role.

Retention and reuse of older buildings is an effective tool for responsible, sustainable stewardship of natural resources, including those that have already been expended. Consider the idea of 'embodied energy.'"

Read his full essay, “Preserving Buildings Helps Preserve the Planet”, appearing at Planetizen.com here.