Postcard of the Morgan Building from the Bosco-Milligan Foundation collections
Recently, the Morgan Building at SW Broadway and Washington was granted LEED certification for Existing Building, Operations and Maintenance. According to the Daily Journal of Commerce, this is the first Portland building listed in the National Register of Historic Places, to achieve such certification, but it certainly should not be the only one. This is the latest Portland example of how historic preservation can lead (and LEED) when it comes to sustainable development practices. We hope you’ll take note in the DJC article, how the A.E. Doyle designed building accommodates natural light and ventilation, something that the architects of many older and historic buildings took into consideration.
Meanwhile, this weekend is also the Portland Build it Green! Tour. One of the homes on this year’s tour is an amazing 1880s Queen Anne in Northeast Portland that has been painstakingly renovated over the years. More recently, through the Clean Energy Works program the home has become an exemplar of how older and historic homes can be made more energy efficient. For lovers of older homes who fret over the prospects of potentially sacrificing character for comfort (i.e., in the form of energy efficient upgrades), this home is a must see. You can have your cake and eat it too!