sustainable historic preservation

Preservationists have long fought the stigma that historic buildings were inefficient and thus didn’t have a place in an eco-friendly building environment. Yet this is an overly simplistic look, as historic buildings were traditionally designed with many sustainable features that responded to the needs of the local climate. Considering these original climatic adaptations, the sustainable methods and technology that have been developed over the past decade can supplement existing features without compromising the beloved historic character of the old housing stock in the greater Boston area.

Many have pointed out that preserving a building is the most optimal recycling project possible. The use of appropriate salvaging of historic exterior features can both reduce waste and restore the original beauty of a historic home. Ascalon homes are always built with a philosophy of retain, repair, or upgrade historic features, rather than replace them.

Historic homes often were built to take advantage of a combination of natural and task lighting, natural ventilation, and C+E form building plans to enable natural light and ventilation. The Ascalon team have built their reputation on retaining these features and even employing them in new construction buildings. Our head carpenters were graduates of the historical carpentry program at the North Bennett Street School in Boston and are adept at working with historic homes.