Sustainability, green buildings, climate change and energy efficiency are all terms we hear and read about. But, how does the drive to adapt our built environment to "green building" standards affect the future of our historic properties? The New Pathways Conference, to be held April 14 & 15 in Seattle, will try to answer questions about how historic rehabilitation projects can successfully comply with local building codes and green building rating systems (such as LEED), and still meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. The target audience includes building code officials, green building design proponents, designers/architects, and preservation consultants.

The first day of the conference will include presentations and panel discussions by industry leaders in the field.  Day 2 will be a half-day group exercise during which participants will evaluate a local historic building rehabilitation project from the perspective of building codes, green building programs, and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. During this exercise participants will explore how the various codes and standards are supportive, identify potential conflicting goals, and attempt to resolve any conflicts which surface.