A city council is considering demolishing an old warehouse to make way for a new office complex. However, an environmental consultant suggests preserving the warehouse and retrofitting it for modern use. How does this decision align with sustainable building practices?

The city council’s choice to keep the old warehouse and retrofit it instead of tearing it down follows the principle of building reuse, which reduces waste and saves the energy that would be used to construct a new building. By preserving the existing structure, the project keeps the embodied energy of the materials in place and avoids the pollution from demolition debris. Retrofitting can also incorporate energy‑efficient technologies, such as better insulation, solar panels, and smart HVAC systems, turning the old building into a low‑impact, modern office space. For example, an old warehouse in downtown Boston was saved and turned into a LEED‑Gold office building that uses 30 % less energy than a new build would have required. Thus, the decision supports sustainable building practices by conserving resources, minimizing waste, and improving the building’s environmental performance.