Free Webinar: Historic Preservation + Building Performance Standards

April 23, 2026 | 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

FREE- Zoom

With the support of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation presents this free educational webinar about the intersection of preservation and a new wave of policy tools, known as Building Performance Standards, which are becoming more widespread across the United States.

Building Performance Standards (BPS) are policies that require commercial and multifamily buildings to meet certain performance levels, typically for energy use or greenhouse gas emissions. Each local and state government that implements a BPS can customize the requirements to fit its needs, but in general, a BPS contains a performance target (for example, a specific level of energy use per square foot) and a timeframe by which all buildings must meet this target. For historic buildings, the impact remains unclear.

This webinar seeks to clarify and bring the two together: historic preservation and BPS. Our speakers-James Lindberg of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Sean Denniston of Heritage Green Consulting, and Luke Howard of the Washington State Department of Commerce-will explore the history and framework of Building Performance Standards, how they fit into larger sustainability goals, and how they are being applied here in Washington State, for both historic and non-historic buildings.

Join us for this timely conversation about historic preservation and sustainability.

Register Today

Speakers:

Sean Denniston is the principal of Heritage Green Consulting, a preservation consultancy working at the intersection of historic preservation and sustainability. He brings particular attention to how sustainability policies impact the preservation of historic buildings and how to craft policies to limit harm to and even benefit historic buildings. His work is built on a career at the forefront of sustainability, decarbonization codes, and policy.

Luke Howard is a Building Performance Specialist for the Building Standards and Performance Unit at the Washington State Department of Commerce, where he is currently the technical lead for the Washington State's Clean Buildings Law. Luke has over 20 years of experience in research, analysis, and implementation of building performance design strategies, codes, and standards in the Northwest.

James B. Lindberg is the Senior Policy Director at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has more than 30 years of experience in preservation, planning, and sustainable development, including five years as director of the National Trust's Preservation Green Lab. Jim has led nationally recognized preservation and sustainable development projects, including the adaptive use of a former dude ranch in Rocky Mountain National Park and the green rehabilitation of a historic school in Denver.