Browsing by Author "Wheeler, Terra Ettrick"

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    ONWARD HISTORIC PRESERVATION! EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION THROUGH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA): A POLICY PERSPECTIVE
    (University of Oregon, 2016) Wheeler, Terra Ettrick
    The focus ofthis terminal project is to research and measure the environmental impact of demolitions of single-family homes in Portland through the lens of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is a method of estimating the life cycle impacts of a product, including the various processes used to process, manufacture, use and dispose of an item - in this context an entire building. This experiment is intended to create a standardized measurement of the carbon footprint that occurs as a result of demolition and associated new construction The specific application is the approximately 400 demolitions of existing buildings that occurred in Portland, 2015 - 70% of which were single family homes I and the approximately 100 new single family homes that were built to replace them According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation Green Lab's report, The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse, "additional research and analysis [is] needed to help communities design and employ public-policy tools that will remove obstacles to building reuse. 2" Research conducted to inform policy has the potential to be a helpful tool for more effective preservation planning and advocacy. Data analysis and synthesis of accumulated data will yield results that will build upon existing knowledge, including several historic preservation case studies that utilize Life Cycle Assessment to assess carbon impacts of new construction. It is important to mention that the socio-cultural element of demolishing existing buildings is worthy of its own study. However, the scope of this work focuses on the connections between land use policies, carbon reduction and reuse of existing buildings. This research has the potential to influence policy decisions that will shape the sustainability of cities now and in the future, especially in the face of balancing pressures of development and reduction of carbon impacts.
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    ItemOpen Access
    ONWARD HISTORIC PRESERVATION! EXPLORING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION THROUGH LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA): A POLICY PERSPECTIVE
    (University of Oregon, 2016) Wheeler, Terra Ettrick
    The initial motivation for this project was the desire to root academic research and knowledge in practical application. After living in Portland, Oregon for ten years I began to witness the destruction of historic resources in the inner Southeast Hosford - Abernethy neighborhood. Before this experience of demolitions, I was sheltered from the destruction of old buildings. I learned to appreciate the musty smell of an old basement and peeling paint at an early age. Growing up in Northampton, Massachusetts I was privileged to be protected from the devastation of demolition. Many years later after moving to Portland I fell in love with old buildings all over again. I began to question the contradiction between the city's touted progressive policies and the destruction of existing buildings without consideration of the environmental impact. This project is an attempt to answer this long-held question; using scholarship to move from conceptual understanding to solidifying observations and experience through production of measurable impacts.