APT International’s New OSCAR Tool

The Online Sustainable Conservation Assistance Resource (OSCAR) is your guide for Sustainable Preservation. OSCAR is a free, web-based, interactive, tool that helps design professionals find sustainable design options for retrofitting existing and historic buildings.  Created by the Association for Preservation Technology, International’s Technical Committee on Sustainable Preservation, OSCAR will guide you through a series of inputs about your building and highlight areas for improvement.  The final report that is created through the program can serve as a great discussion starter for client conversations and design charrettes. 

“Many aspects of sustainability are already embodied in historic buildings, and OSCAR will assist with development of strategies to advance their sustainability while respecting their historic character.” – Oscar website

The tool is still relatively young so its focus is on evaluating elements of the building’s enclosure – roof, walls, windows – for improvements in energy efficiency. The current version of OSCAR is still actively seeking feedback so after you check it out be sure to leave some comments or suggestions.  Visit the site at https://oscar-apti.org/ where you’ll find not only the tool itself, but also a glossary and bibliography of useful sources for your next design project! 

APT International’s Website

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