Agnes Scott College’s oldest building, Agnes Scott Hall (also known as Main Hall), was recently recognized for “Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation” by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
The designation recognized the building as a rehabilitation project that incorporates “appropriate conservation and sustainable treatments” to reduce its environmental impact “while preserving significant features that convey its historic significance,” according to a release.
Agnes Scott Hall’s rehabilitation honor comes off the heels of it earning the LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — the highest certification level that can be designated by the sustainability rating system.
Partnering with Agnes Scott to work on the project was Jenkins Peer Architects, Holder Construction and Newcomb & Boyd, the same team that renovated the college’s residence building, Rebekah Scott Hall, the recipient of The Georgia Trust’s Chairman Award (historic preservation honor) back in 2019.
“Through material and building stewardship, the reuse of Agnes Scott’s historic buildings not only play an integral role in having reduced our emissions by 52% since 2008, but by maintaining these spaces, we maintain our sense of place for past, present and future students. Memories are made and value-systems are formed in these spaces,” said Kimberly Reeves, executive director of the Agnes Scott Center for Sustainability.
The Main Hall project is part of Agnes Scott’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037 through historic preservation and whole building sustainable rehabilitation, among other strategies.
In 2022, Agnes Scott co-published a report examining the carbon savings of preserving and retrofitting existing buildings instead of replacing them. The report found that “it would take more than 300 years for a forest the size of Agnes Scott’s 100-acre campus to absorb the embodied carbon emissions avoided by retaining its existing buildings over the college’s 135-year history.”
Additionally, the college was also selected as a featured case study in Heritage Now!, a global initiative that aims to utilize built heritage as a way to support a “resilient, climate positive and just future,” said a release.
“I am thrilled that Agnes Scott has been recognized for our leadership with respect to the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources,” said Leocadia I. Zak, president of Agnes Scott College. “It is especially gratifying that our students and young professionals have the opportunity to be engaged in these projects. They take sustainability and historic preservation seriously.”
