{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Reframe","title":"The Greenest Buildings Already Exist ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3170,"description":"with Matt Aalfs                         Reframe host Jeff Nichols sits down with Matt Aalfs, founding partner of BuildingWork and lead architect behind Seattle's remarkable Metropole Building restoration. What begins as a discussion about a historic renovation quickly evolves into a broader conversation about climate action, urban revitalization, and why reusing existing buildings may be one of the most important sustainability strategies available today.  At the center of the discussion is the Metropole, a 135-year-old building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood that most people would have considered beyond saving. Damaged by earthquakes, fire, and years of neglect, the building was transformed into a LEED Platinum-certified community hub serving nonprofit organizations and communities of color. More importantly, it achieved an astonishing Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 18—less than half that of a typical new office building built to Seattle's already stringent energy code.   One of Matt's most powerful observations challenges a deeply held assumption in sustainability circles that historic preservation and sustainable design are opposing forces.     Many industry people still believe that achieving high performance required tearing down older buildings and replacing them entirely with new materials and more efficient construction. Matt argues the opposite. Historic buildings contain enormous amounts of embodied carbon, craftsmanship, and material resources. Demolishing them often creates a larger environmental burden than renovating them—culminating in the episode's most defining idea: the greenest building is the building that already exists.   Matt explains that nearly half of U.S. carbon emissions are tied to buildings through both construction and operations. If society is serious about climate goals, the solution cannot come primarily from new construction.  Instead of building our way toward a cleaner future with new construction—the greatest...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/9o7rM5JoeVRWthCIlYN0254rAnp3ZfUYiTaRgmyChbc/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ZjEw/M2U3ZWY4MWZiYzcx/MTRjNDE2MDUxMzdi/ODNmMy5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}