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By Nancy B. Solomon, AIA

Continuing Education Use the following learning objectives to focus your study while reading this month’s ARCHITECTURAL RECORD / AIA Continuing Education article. Learning Objective: After reading this article, you will be able to: 1. Explain the impact of recent legislation on brownfield development. 2. Discuss the process of developing brownfield sites. 3. Identify brownfield remediation techniques and practices.

The times they are a-changin’: Not too long ago, the word brownfield would send developers scampering away, not wanting to get involved in potentially contaminated sites. And architects would stay clear of the topic for the usual liability reasons. But today, more and more brownfields are being remediated and redeveloped, and architects are finding ways to contribute to this potentially complex endeavor. Says Daniel F. Hellmuth, AIA, of Hellmuth & Bicknese Architects in St. Louis, “We jump for joy when we find a brownfield that can be developed for a project.”

The reasons for this shift are many. The environmental benefit of reusing already disturbed property instead of virgin land has been increasingly emphasized through the growing sustainable-design movement and the various “smart growth” initiatives across the country. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification system, for example, gives points to a project situated on a former brownfield because it allows for rehabilitation of damaged land while reducing pressure on undeveloped property. State tax incentives and other financial assistance are also luring developers in. And improved technology and more streamlined remediation strategies have facilitated the actual process of sampling, analyzing, and cleaning up.

Brownfields reclamation gained increasing recognition on January 11, 2002, when President George W. Bush signed The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. The bill provides liability protection for prospective purchasers, contiguous property owners, and innocent landowners, and authorizes increased funding for state and local programs that assess and clean up brownfields.

 

Donald Watson, FAIA, facilitated community participation in the design of Went Field. The original park (above) was surrounded by brownfields. The new park (below) was enlarged after the contaminated land was cleared and cleaned up. Images: © Don Watson