Historic walls, modern systems: Renovations strategies for decarbonization, deferred maintenance, and program value

Organizations confronting decarbonization mandates and mounting deferred maintenance backlogs face their hardest decisions inside century-old buildings, where mechanical systems, historic preservation, and contemporary program needs collide. d’Andre Willis profiles the University of Colorado Boulder's just-completed $105 million gut renovation of a 1921 humanities building to show how all three targets can be achieved together. She walks through the full HVAC overhaul, the triple-pane windows and envelope upgrades, and the phased state capital funding strategy that secured the project across three legislative cycles. She illustrates what’s achievable in terms of reconfigured spaces designed for modern work patterns, and highlights lessons learned for institutions navigating similar challenges.