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Jackson was the restoration project manager for the place, working with Chicago’s Wilbert Hasbrouck. Now Jackson is on a more abstract kick, pointing out that the powerful tool for greening architecture, the LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council, may not take into proper account how environmentally constructive restoring old buildings can be.

IOW, don’t assume that new is best. Moore again: “Jackson’s hypothetical example cites a new LEED Platinum-rated [i.e., top-rated] school built on the edge of town, contrasted with saving an existing school structure in an existing urban area.  Using green building materials, LEED may award more points for the new structure, while total energy expended for new construction actually saps more resources from the environment.”