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The Relationship between Historic Preservation and Sustainability in Interior Design

Lisa Tucker

Introduction

The historic interior is a place where principles of preservation and principles of sustainable design inevitably overlap. As such, the interior of a historic building is a perfect vehicle in which to explore the synergies between historic preservation and sustainable design. As Peter Zumthor suggests,

Every new work of architecture intervenes in a specific historical situation. It is essential to the quality of the intervention that the new building should embrace qualities that can enter into a meaningful dialogue with the existing situation. For if the intervention is to find its place, it must make us see what already exists in a new light.

(Zumthor 2010)

The underlying purposes of historic preservation (to retain historic fabric) and sustainability (to reduce the human footprint) are inherently similar. Both require a focus on reducing the use of newer materials in buildings and a greater appreciation for the use of older materials in structures. Therefore a case can be made that retaining, rather than replacing, historic materials with new ones directly reduces the ecological footprint of a building.

In today's construction environment it is most likely that materials selected for use in buildings will be rapidly renewable, locally harvested, extracted, or manufactured, and non-toxic. However, for builders of historic structures concern about whether or not their sources were renewable or toxic was not at the forefront of their thinking. As a result, most historic structures are composed of local materials which are predominantly natural – thereby providing ample opportunities for the successful overlap of preservation and sustainable design principles.

In the case of historic buildings the interior of a structure will likely change significantly over time. Layers of surfaces and resurfacing continuously change the historic interior space to reflect its social history. How all of this is preserved, restored, adapted, or otherwise interpreted is at the core of what an interior designer does. As such, it is important that the designer's work not only reflect the new uses and occupants of a historic interior but, at the same time, honors the changes in taste and social mores that have occurred over time.

The Palimpsest Approach

I suggest that the essence of a historic interior is like a palimpsest – or multi-layered record. While the original meaning of the word refers to a manuscript that has been erased or scraped and re-layered with writing over time, the concept can be applied easily to the interior of a historic building. Diverse layering over time contributes to the current essence of a space and can provide the basis for an environment that helps us remember what has come before and enjoy what takes place in the present as a new layer for future reflection.

A thorough review of the literature reveals that little research has been undertaken to explore the idea of historic interiors as a palimpsest. In most part, the literature reflects an emphasis on the materials, structural components, and facade details of a building's shell. Further, most of the literature is found in preservation briefs that describe how to technically do the work, not why we make the choices we make. This being the case, it follows that while much has been written about the synergies between historic preservation and sustainable design, little emphasis has been placed on these synergies as they might occur in the interior.

In his article for the Forum Journal, practitioner Carl Elephante suggests a framework adopted from Stewart Brand of How Buildings Learn fame, that proposes that we look at existing buildings in terms of four areas: structure, envelope, interior, and systems. Of the four areas outlined by Elephante, it is safe to say the interior changes the most frequently. Like the fashion industry in some regard, interiors change with the times and new color palettes, materials, furnishings, and even spatial considerations change continuously.

Few guidelines exist on how to deal with this record of change in the interior within a historic building. Although Preservation Brief 18 addresses the interior by providing 10 general guidelines, and other briefs discuss interior paint, ceramic tile floors, plaster work, and ornamentation of the interior, there is no attention paid to the importance of preserving the essence of a historic space through what I have called a palimpsest approach; that is, as a multi-layered record of the past.

At the time the Interiors Handbook for Historic Buildings was developed, Associate Professor Jim Morgan (Pratt Institute) lamented the lack of information on historic interiors: “No academic framework exists for teaching interior preservation design nor to my knowledge, does a book exist on the subject.” This complaint is as true today as it was then. Like the remainder of the information contained in the Handbook, the information that does exist focuses on specific materials, historic windows, and plaster ornamentation. In other words, little theoretical or philosophical guidance about how to approach a historic interior is suggested.

Having established that there is little available information in the literature to help guide a palimpsest approach to historic interiors from a preservationist point of view, it is also true that there is even less written about how to complete a historic interior from a sustainability point of view. As suggested earlier, nearly all the current literature addresses more general issues associated with the building itself.

The Intersection of Sustainability and Historic Preservation Work for the Interior: A New Framework

I propose a new framework for dealing with the specific issues associated with the history of interiors in a building. This framework for sustainable historic interiors proposes a more expansive conversation – one that includes the European sensibility of conservation, that is, conservation as defined by English Heritage as “the careful management of change” (Holden and Meek 2011).

In keeping with this European sensibility and recognizing the need for economic and socially viable projects, the Cadw (Welsh Government Historic Environment Service) established the following series of six principles to guide conservation work:

Historic assets will be managed to sustain their values.

Understanding the significance of historic assets is vital.

The historic environment is a shared resource.

Everyone will be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment.

Decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent, and consistent.

Documenting and learning from decisions is essential. (Cadw 2011)

These principles are in concert with the palimpsest approach to a historic interior which recognizes that a historic interior represents a series of changes throughout the life of a building.

The palimpsest approach offers a new way of looking at interior sustainable preservation. Although a palimpsest approach has been used to describe the exteriors of historic buildings designed by architects such as Carlo Scarpa, Peter Zumthor, and others at the Harvard School of Design (2011) and at Ryerson (2011), until now – unfortunately – the discussion has not been expanded to include historic interior spaces. By viewing the historic interior as a palimpsest, the space can be recognized as a series of layers where parts are removed to allow for new interventions. Such interventions, therefore, have some level of importance in telling the complete story.

Action Outline for a New Palimpsest Framework

Evaluation of a Historic Interior for Significance and Rehabilitation Guidelines

To understand how a palimpsest framework can be applied to a historic interior it is important to first have a clear understanding of how a historic interior is evaluated for significance. Several documents exist that discuss the question of significance within a historic building. These include, Bulletin 16A, Preservation Brief 17, and Preservation Brief 18 (Jandl 1988).

According to these and other sources, historic character is defined as the tangible elements that convey a sense of time and place. The Secretary of the Interior suggests that the following things must be assessed to determine historical significance: (1) association with historic events or activities; (2) association with important persons; (3) distinctive design or physical characteristics; and (4) the potential to provide important information about prehistory or history.

According to Preservation Brief 17, there are several things that determine the architectural character of a building which inform a historic interior. These include individual spaces, related spaces and sequence, interior features, surface finishes and materials, and exposed structure. In a similar vein, Preservation Brief 18 suggests that establishing which interior spaces play a primary role versus those of a secondary nature is important. By identifying these roles it can be determined which spaces contribute to the significance of the building and which might not.

Generally, primary spaces include foyers, elevator lobbies, assembly spaces, stair halls, and parlors. These are often the most costly spaces with the most highly designed interiors. Secondary spaces, such as bathrooms and kitchens, are more utilitarian. According to Jandl, the sequence of spaces and the interrelation between them can also be of significance (Jandl 1988).

Once the various roles of the spaces have been reviewed and established, the next step in evaluating the significance of a historic interior is the assessment of finishes. For example, do the interior spaces feature wood graining and marbleizing, or fine plasterwork? In addition, note should be taken of any alterations that may have been done over time and attention should be paid to the state of deterioration of the materials and finishes.

Whenever possible, Preservation Brief 18 further suggests that interiors that have been deemed historically significant should be rehabilitated by carefully retaining and preserving floor plans and interior spaces that are important in defining the overall historic character of the building. According to Brief 18, the subdivision of spaces that are characteristic of a building type that is directly associated with specific persons or patterns of events should be avoided.

Further, when rehabilitating significant historic interiors Preservation Brief 18 cautions against making new cuts in floors and ceilings where such cuts would change character-defining spaces and the historic configuration of such spaces. And it is recommended that the installation of dropped ceilings be avoided below ornamental ceilings or in rooms where high ceilings are a part of the building's character.

In addition to these considerations, when rehabilitating significant historic interiors it is important to retain the interior features that help define the overall historic character of the building and to maintain, whenever possible, the visible features of early mechanical systems that are important to the overall historic character of the building such as radiators, vents, fans, grilles, plumbing fixtures, switch plates, and lights.

Nomination of Property to the National Register

In order to fully understand the history of a property to be nominated to the National Register, several types of research must be conducted. This often starts with archival research into land tax records, deeds, and local histories for dating purposes. Local libraries often contain genealogical information, personal diaries and accounts, historic photographs, and often sketchbooks or other documentation of historic properties.

A second level of archival research can be done in conjunction with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). In many parts of the US, surveys that were conducted as a part of the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) in the 1930s and 1940s, and again later under the auspices of the state to record state historic properties for planning purposes, offer invaluable insights into the history of a building. Because any federal monies that were used for new roads and highways required an architectural and archeological survey of the area prior to construction, the SHPO records offer the most thorough and accurate picture of the historic significance of buildings that have been surveyed.

Once the research has been completed, several key elements must be included in order to nominate a property to the National Register. The nomination must include a thorough review of the building's historic significance, historic integrity, and historic context. Historic integrity extends to include the location, the design, the setting, the materials, the workmanship, the feeling, and the association, while historic context covers such issues as theme, place, and time. The combination of all these factors creates a holistic picture of the building and its significance as a historic property.

The Palimpsest Approach to a Historic Interior: Rehabilitation, Restoration, Preservation, or Reconstruction?

Approaching the historic interior as a palimpsest, the interior designer recognizes that any intervention must realize that the interior changes on a regular basis. It reflects new uses, new occupants, new materials and workmanship, and changes in style and taste. How all of this is preserved, restored, adapted, or otherwise interpreted is in the purview of the interior designer.

One of the biggest challenges of a historic interior for an interior designer is how to reflect the constant record of change encapsulated in the space. Every occupant and owner makes changes to the interior – big or small. Unlike the architecture of a building, which tends towards permanence, the interior changes regularly and for many reasons. The question, from a preservation point of view, is: What is the period of significance? And if there is more than one significant time, how should this be retained and interpreted to show all periods as well as that which is new? How can multiple layers be expressed simultaneously and with clarity? When was the interior significant? What were the significant events that took place? Are there any significant personages tied to the place?

It is important to understand that the embodied energy of existing materials in a historic building has been estimated to equate to 65 years in the life of a newly designed high-performance sustainable building (Armitage 2010). This being the case, a complete evaluation of the extant materials is warranted. Such an evaluation will reveal those materials which need remediation, those that are beyond repair, those that are significant, and a host of other issues. Once a complete examination has been conducted, decisions about restoration, consolidation, or replacement can be made.

According to Brosseau (2006) there is a lack of information on how to document a historic interior in the HABS and the National Park Service information. To address this concern, an outline for gathering and documenting information on a historic interior is provided in Figure 22.1.

c22-fig-0001 — Figure 22.1 Interiors checklist

While most historic building analysis tools focus on the more permanent components of the building, this tool can be used to capture the physical state of the interior. While this instrument is helpful in recording the physical detail and conditions of each room, it fails to collect the more intangible properties and characteristics of the space. How does it feel? And why? How many layers are discernible? What are the dates/periods of these layers?

Interpretive and Disappearing Historic Interiors

Significant historic properties have long been preserved, restored, and reconstructed to interpret a particular event or moment in time. Examples of this are Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, Mount Vernon, and many others. However, while these buildings and monuments have their place, most buildings do not meet this level of significance. A more common situation is when the historic interior has disappeared. In such cases the interior preservationist must consider several questions. Should it be reconstructed? Or are there other ways to interpret a lost environment through a photographic record, 3D drawings, and/or video flythrough?

In the case of all historic interiors – be they interpreted, preserved, or disappeared – it can be assumed that changes and additions will be necessary to make a building meet today's needs. Therefore consideration must be given to how new systems and needs can be sensitively and sensibly integrated. For example, since materials experience wear and tear, should these be replaced in kind or with the next generation of material?

According to the standards set by the Secretary of the Interior, new interventions in material and workmanship should be made in a way that is obvious, while not disturbing the historic integrity. In keeping with the palimpsest framework, as well as European conservation ideology, reasonable, consistent, and transparent decisions should be made and documented in this process.

The final component of the palimpsest framework involves a post-occupancy evaluation to test the propositions and to add to the body of knowledge through published findings and lessons learned. Research throughout all steps of the process is an important feature of this framework. Historic research, case-study research, and environment and behavioral research all play an important role.

To create a body of knowledge in the specific area of interior sustainable preservation, designers must record their thinking in regard to the overall historic record, the multiple layers, and the justification for design decisions. Time and evaluation will be the final judges of which decisions were correct and which ones could have been improved.

As demonstrated here, much of the existing knowledge about historic interiors and how to approach them falls into the domain of “how to.” This new framework proposes that the questions of “Why?” and “Within what context?” are much more important first considerations. A historic interior challenges our very relationship with our past and what we can learn from it. Allowing the interior to tell us its history through layering over time, i.e., a palimpsest approach, offers a more sensitive methodology to guide our efforts.

Sustainability: What Historic Buildings Can Teach Us

According to Shirazi, “In architecture, I would rather palimpsestic design, where we encounter an old historical building. In this case, we have a remarkable, text-in-between, but [one that] appreciates it and accompanies…it. The logic of palimpsestic design is interaction and conversation, not imposition and conquering” (Shirazi 2004).

Instead of looking at how to make historic buildings more sustainable, as most of the existing literature does (imposing and conquering), lessons can be learned from historic buildings – and these lessons can teach us how to be more sustainable (interaction and conversation). In much the same way that the interior responds to changes in use, owner, style, workmanship, materials, and other factors, vernacular building traditions evolve from local variations in weather, site, available materials and skilled workers. Letting the interior guide the sustainable preservation process provides invaluable direction to the designer.

Tucker's research has identified several examples from historic houses that replicate current guidelines for sustainable houses (Tucker 2008). For instance, the single-pile plan type allows for natural cross-ventilation and the interior transoms and stair halls draw hot air up and out of the house during hot summer months. The single-pile (one room deep) form also allows for maximum daylight and views and, by planting deciduous shade trees, the front-facing southern facade is protected from direct sunlight in the summer thereby reducing solar gain.

Several other practices can be identified in historic structures that echo today's sustainable guidelines. Things such as the use of local lumber, stone, and brick and the inclusion of a cistern for on-site water catchment mirror the sustainability guidelines for houses. End chimneys, as found in the I-House throughout Virginia and North Carolina – were used in historical houses to provide thermal mass – absorbing heat from the sun during the day and retaining heat created by fires during the winter. This concept is again seen in current sustainability guidelines, where thermal mass walls are recommended to retain heat that can be given back to the space at night when the temperature drops.

A look at historic houses and their adaptations to the specific locale can provide much-needed guidance in this area. Knowledge formed over many decades in response to a specific region, as seen in historic buildings, has been lost in most locales. As traditions have changed, specific skills and normative processes have been replaced with technology and standardization. Allowing historic buildings to teach us provides a new approach to intervention with new designs.

These historic applications are in concert with the considerations that today inform the Green Building Rating Systems. This is to say that such things as daylight and views, site orientation, natural ventilation, and locally available materials are all important factors in gaining LEED certification for buildings.

Learning from History: Net Zero Housing

It can be argued that single family houses in today's market should be more affordable, sustainable, and well designed. This being the case, a serious examination of the work of a group of early 20th-century architects, known as the Architects Small House Service Bureau (ASHSB), is warranted, The express purpose of this group was to create small, affordable, and well-designed houses.

Located all over the US and focusing on house design for the middle and lower classes, the ASHSB produced hundreds of designs based on basic design principles. These principles included the proper positioning of a house on a site and maximization of the house's efficiency through a small building footprint and the use of technological innovations. Between 1919 and 1943, the organization sold hundreds of plans all over the US and in other countries. As part of their guidelines, it was suggested that each homeowner contract with a local architect to customize the design to a specific site, thus taking advantage of local conditions for passive solar. Additionally, each of the divisions produced designs that were suited to the part of the country within which they were operating.

In today's vernacular, a net-zero house is one that minimizes the use of energy from outside sources and is designed for sustainable living. According to Tucker, the Architects' Small House Service Bureau offers guidelines for net-zero housing, thereby providing a model for sustainable housing for the 21st century (Tucker 2012). In keeping with this, the following ASHSB guidelines are presented as examples that could inform the design of net-zero houses today:

Small and efficient housing is better than large and inefficient housing
Built-ins maximize space usage
Materials should be chosen to last
Good Design upfront eliminates waste during the construction process
A trained design professional providing a complete plan and building services saves time and money
Builders are not designers
Choosing a house is one of the biggest decisions a prospective homeowner will ever make
Design adds value and quality
The ASHSB and its advice are practical
Good design shows

Conclusion

The thesis of this essay – that sustainable preservation is the realm of the interior designer – challenges the current view of historic preservation in the US that is predominantly in the domain of architecture. As specialists in interior environments, it is logical that this be a specialization within interiors. The interior is a multi-layered canvas expressing the changes in occupation, use, and period. An understanding of the many people who shaped the interior and the many ways in which it has functioned is within the domain of interior design. Additionally, as the case studies mentioned demonstrate, history is important and can inform what we do today both in terms of the preservation and sustainability of buildings. The interior is the vehicle where preservation and sustainable design inevitably overlap. Through a thorough understanding of both approaches, interior designers are the professionals to create a truly sustainable preservation intervention.

References

APT (Association for Preservation Technology). 2005. APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology 36: 4.

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Brosseau, T. L. 2006. “Historic Interior Documentation: A Case Study.” Master's thesis, Cornell University.
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Chicago School of Media Theory. 2003. Palimpsest. University of Chicago. http://lucian.uchicago.edu/blogs/mediatheory/keywords/palimpsest/. Accessed May 7, 2014.
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Tucker, L. M. 2012. “Net zero housing: the architects' small house service bureau and contemporary sustainable single-family house design methods for the United States,” Journal of Interior Design 37: 1–16.
US Department of the Interior. 1983. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. Washington DC: Preservation Assistance Division, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior.
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