Sustainability, green buildings, climate change and energy efficiency are all terms we hear and read about. But, how does the drive to adapt our built environment to "green building" standards affect the future of our historic properties? To try to answer these questions about how historic rehabilitation projects can successfully comply with local building codes and green building rating systems (such as LEED), and still meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, DPD is co-sponsoring the New Pathways Conference, to be held April 14 and 15 in Seattle. The target audience includes building code officials, green building design proponents, designers/architects, and preservation consultants.

Conference committee member Rebecca Nielsen of the US General Services Administration regional office in Auburn recently stated: "There are lots of conferences out there that are talking about the problems. We want to have a conference that answers some questions." Conference sponsors include the Washington Association of Building Officials, the Washington State Building Code Council, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, City of Seattle, and the US General Services Administration.

The first day of the conference will include presentations and panel discussions by industry leaders in the field. Day 2 will be a half day group exercise during which participants will evaluate a local historic building rehabilitation project from the perspective of building codes, green building programs, and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. During this exercise participants will explore how the various codes and standards are supportive, identify potential conflicting goals, and attempt to resolve any conflicts which surface.

Former State Representative Sandra Romero, who is active in both the preservation and sustainability fronts, says of the conference topic: "Building codes, preservation standards, and green building systems are all good things. But they are often seen as being in conflict. We want to show how they can and should work together."

Registration is available at www.wabo.org/new_pathways__historic_preserva.htm.