Abstract

There has been a surge of full rehabs of rowhouses in Baltimore City recently as interest and the popularity of living in the city has risen. A new approach had been garnering some press attention, in combination both with these rehabs and national interest in "building green"—the green rehabilitation of rowhouses. This paper looks at affordability and preservation issues with regard to the greening of rowhouses. My thesis statement is that through effective planning and compromise, a green rehabilitation of a rowhouse can be both affordable and appropriately sensitive to the house's historic character. Through research and interviews, I investigated if and how to make these green rehabs affordable for the average citizen of Baltimore, and what sort of compromises can be made in order to update these houses for modern living while still adhering to standards of preservation, again, if possible. Affordability is important with green building because it is essential to involve people of all socio-economic classes in the environmental movement if it to work. Likewise, preservation of buildings in the city needs to include both high-style as well as vernacular buildings, and needs to continue even when these historic structures are adapted to modern use and standards. Through compromise and continued conversation between professionals in all related fields, green rehabilitations of rowhouses can be even more affordable and available to the city's residents.