[MassHistPres] preservation meets performance workshop at the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill

[Dennis De Witt]

Please see the announcement below .

Dennis De Witt


The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association has put together an outstanding workshop on stewardship of historic masonry structures, to be held at the Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill on Friday, November 8th. Instructors for the day will be Jean Carroon, Bill Rose, and James Petersen (see below for more information on these experts). 

If you've never been to the Waterworks Museum, it's hard to describe what an amazing experience a visit there is. It's a spectacular Richardsonian Romanesque structure that still houses the massive pumps that were key components in getting fresh water to Boston at the turn of the last century. The cathedral-like pump room has been turned into a fascinating museum describing the history of Boston's water distribution system. It's a beautiful, sometimes eerie space.

When the pumps were operational, heating the building was never an issue -- the place was like an oven. With the pumps now idle, the moisture and thermal dynamics of the building have changed radically. The whole building poses classic preservation challenges everywhere you look: How to treat acres and acres of historic windows? How to make sure that water intrusion into historic masonry walls that never got cold when the steam pumps were running does not cause freeze-thaw issues now that the walls are frequently cold? How to cost-effectively heat or cool small areas of a massive volume for occupant comfort? 

The Boston area is home to countless non-profits whose most significant assets are historic masonry buildings: not only museums like Waterworks but also colleges, private high schools, and churches. We need to provide these organizations -- and the architects, engineers, and contractors who work with them -- better tools for being good long-term stewards of these buildings and help them get out of the trap of making an endless series of ad hoc decisions responding to the crisis of the month. This workshop, led by a dream team of experts who have spent their whole careers trying to resolve the tensions that arise when preservation needs butt up against performance objectives,  is a big first step towards achieving that goal. 

Sign up today: space is limited to 50 people. Here's where to register: https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/50231/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=74229

And feel free to forward this to anyone else you think might be interested. I hope to see you there.

--Paul Eldrenkamp



Workshop instructors:

Jean Carroon (FAIA, LEED) leads Goody Clancy’s extensive preservation and renovation practice. She has received national recognition for her special expertise in applying sustainable design technology to historic buildings and has been appointed to (Boston) Mayor Menino’s Green Building Task Force and the Advisory Board of the Green Roundtable’s Nexus Green Building Resource Center. Her book, Sustainable Preservation; Greening Existing Buildings, was published in 2010 by John Wiley & Sons.

James Petersen, P.E., LEED AP founded Petersen Engineering, Inc. in 1992. Over a 25+ year career his passion for energy and the environment has expanded his expertise from his roots in HVAC and plumbing design to include building science, enclosure design and integrated design. Adopting a broad view of buildings, human health & comfort, energy, and the environment has significantly enhanced his role as mechanical engineer on project teams. He serves on the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) Board where he recently completed 2 years as Board Chair.

William Rose is Senior Research Architect at the University of Illinois. His research, with funding from HUD and DOE, focuses on moisture, energy, and effects on the indoor environment. He is an ASHRAE Fellow, has been the ASHRAE Handbook chair for chapters on building envelopes, and currently serves on an ASHRAE committee charged with developing a guideline for energy efficiency in historic buildings. He serves as a consultant to museums and historic buildings on moisture problems, including the Guggenheim Museum, Independence Hall, and the National Gallery of Art. He is the author of “Water in Buildings”, published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons.



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