Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment of Historic Buildings in the State Park : A Case Study in Michigan

Michigan State University and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources established a partnership for sustainable park planning in October 2011. The purpose of the partnership was to enable students in the design fields to work on real-world projects and provide practical solutions. One of the notable projects was to assess old historic buildings in one state park and propose renovation plan to improve its indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency. The buildings in the park functioned as the traveler’s destination in the 1920s and still preserve original interior and exterior features. The team of undergraduates and faculty in interior design visited the park and assessed the interior and exterior conditions of two of its buildings. They used an assessment tool which was designed on a basis of the elements in the indoor environmental quality category (IEQ) of the US Green Building Council’s LEED. Results revealed that the indoor environmental conditions of the buildings should be improved. The energy efficiency of the buildings was low. Based on this assessment, this study offered practical suggestions for improving the building’s indoor environmental quality. This study also proposed an assessment tool for the historic buildings in the state parks in Michigan to assess current indoor environmental quality of those buildings.


Background
The mission of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the State of Michigan has been protecting natural and cultural resources, ensuring sustainable recreation use, and improving and developing strong relationships and partnerships with various stakeholders since the department was established in the 1920s (DNR, 2016).One of the notable recent efforts was to improve sustainability of the parks through establishing strong partnerships with local communities.The first discussion between the DNR and Michigan State University was initiated in the fall of 2011 to enhance this effort through establishing a strong partnership between DNR and the School of Planning, Design, & Construction that had students and faculty in landscape architecture, interior design, urban and regional planning, and construction management.The team of several School faculty and DNR staff reviewed the problems associated with the physical conditions and established a timeline to improve them.They also formulated building management strategies for the state parks and their buildings located in those parks.

Research Need and Goals
The first phase of this partnership was to identify several key locations of the state parks of which physical condition and management strategies needed improvement.The first target of this sustainable park planning project was located in Brooklyn in Michigan.This park had been known as a very popular stop for travelers since the 1800s through the 1920s.This park has two main buildings, referred to as Walker Tavern building and Hewitt House building.Walker Tavern building was a popular travelers' destination since it was famous for its dinner menu and antiques (Quinn Evans Architects, 2003).
These two main buildings and other auxiliary buildings at the park require significant physical improvement to offer decent and comfortable environments for their visitors.Moreover, because the two buildings have not been updated properly, they showed severe conditions in finishes, air ducts, and lighting quality.Because these conditions could be harmful to users of the building, it was urgently needed to assess the current indoor environmental quality of the two buildings in the park and develop an improvement plan for those buildings.
After an initial investigation of current conditions of the building and a conversation with the staff, the research team set two main goals for this study: conducting a comprehensive diagnosis of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and making a practical recommendation for improving it.To achieve these goals, the research team set specific objectives: They would (1) diagnose current indoor environmental quality through measuring the elements that can affect it, (2) propose an indoor environmental quality improvement plan, and (3) develop an indoor environmental quality assessment checklist that can be utilized in buildings in other state parks.(until here)

Previous Research Relevant to the Topic
Sustainable design strategies for historic building have been addressed in many previous studies (Grytil, Kvaerness, Rokseth & Ygre, 2012;Pankhurst & Harris, 2013, Rostvik, 2013).Grytil, Kvaerness, Rokseth and Ygre (2012) looked at the impact of energy improvement measures on a historic apartment building in Norway.Although there were concerned that energy improvement could destroy the historic values of old building, this research team found that the historic values would be secured even after the energy-saving technologies would be implemented.They conducted several assessments and concluded that implementing energy improvement technologies could reduce the greenhouse gas emission from an old building without reducing its historic integrity.Rostvik (2013) examined an active design using the solar heating system for historic buildings.This research emphasized the use of solar energy for church buildings and post-management in Norway.Once the system was implemented, an appropriate management plan needed to be established.This research also examined the payback periods, which provided empirical evidence for other architects when they implemented this system for old historic churches.
A study for a historic building in a park was conducted by Pankhrst & Harris (2013).They emphasized sustainable renovation for a visitor center at a park.Their case study described the implementation of photovoltaic slates and panels, geothermal heat pumps, underfloor heating, and the improvement of insulation for the walls and air tightness in a historic park building.Their case study also reported the benefits from the photovoltaic systems to energy saving for a building.Their study showcased the use of various energy-saving techniques for a historic park building.
As these studies presented, sustainable design principles and practices have been implemented in many historic buildings.The major target buildings for the previous studies were residential, commercial, or religious buildings, however.The buildings located in state parks have not been paid enough attention.Because the state parks already provide green outdoor environments for visitors, they would expect the buildings within the parks to provide healthy and green environments.The indoor environment in these buildings should thus be comfortable and appropriately maintained.
Only a few non-scholarly publications are found relevant to the sustainable park building design.One of them was released by the Tennessee State Park (2010).It was a manual to introduce its LEED-certified cabin in one of its state parks.It provided overall green design features applied in a lodge within a park.This manual became a benchmark for many other state parks.Still the scope of its work did not reach to cover the indoor environmental quality in the buildings located in state parks.Because many visitors use the buildings in state parks, the indoor environments in those buildings should be maintained properly.

Study Area
The Cambridge Junction Historic State Park has two early 18th and 19th century buildings that are historically significant to Michigan's transportation history and tourism (Quinn Evans Architects, 2003).The Hewitt House building and Walker Tavern building are those two buildings.They were famous tourist destinations in the 1920s.
After passing through different ownerships for a century, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources purchased the buildings and property in the late 1960s.Although the site and buildings are no longer used for dining or a tourist destination, the park has preserved its historic features.The park is currently maintained jointly by the Michigan Historical Center, Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries in the hope of restoring the property to its 1920's appearance.The official document that showed the physical conditions of the buildings is the "Historic Structure Report for the Hewitt House Building and Walker Tavern Building" authored by Quinn Evans Architects (2003).Figure 1 and 2 present the two buildings' floor plans.

History and Significance of the Buildings
The report from Quinn Evans Architects (2003) explained that the Walker Tavern building was built in 1832 aiming at serving as a tavern and stagecoach stop.The building was typical homes of this era, the front door entered into a star hall and the ladies' parlor was to the left, and the gentlemen's taproom to the right.In 1843, the tavern was modified to add a wooden porch that spanned the south and east sides of the buildings as well as the addition of a kitchen, a first floor bedroom and two additional bedrooms on the second floor.For 60 years from 1865, a new kitchen, pantry, and an additional small room were added to the existing kitchen.The current interior spaces are presented in table 1.
Hewitt House building was built in 1929 by Fred Hewitt who purchased the property in 1922.His ownership's period , Hewitt tried to maximize the tourist potential of the building and built his own house named the Hewitt House building.Because this building had a residential purpose, the building had a typical plan of a story house, offering common spaces on the first floor and private bedrooms on the second floor.Hewitt continued to own the house in the late 1960's.Shortly afterward the Department of Natural Resources purchased the property (Quinn Evans Architects, 2003).The building still preserves the original layout of the interior spaces, but the first floor is used for the tourists and the DNR staff, which offers an exhibit room, an office, and a conference room, and a dining room.Figure 3 shows these two buildings located in the park.

Current Status of the Buildings
The park site and buildings are outdated, but the historic context of the site and buildings is well preserved.The site provides a parking lot and preserves natural habitats and walking paths around the park.The building in the part show historic elements in interior and exterior conditions.The images in the table 1 show the conditions of the two buildings.Photo credits by the author

Research Process and Methods
To diagnose indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and make a practical recommendation for improving the IEQ, this research employed an onsite measurement of the indoor environmental features.According to the US Green Building Council's LEED rating systems, the IEQ incorporates four elements into any evaluation of indoor environments: indoor air quality, thermal comport, lighting, and acoustics (US Green Building Council, 2009).
The research team developed a checklist to assess these elements.The team initially included the items to measure indoor air quality, indoor temperature, lighting, and acoustics.However, two pilot measurements during the initial phase of the research did not indicate clearly any acoustical issues.The maintenance staff also did not recognize the issue of noise control.Therefore, the measurement of the indoor environmental quality did not include items to check the acoustics.
The first step was to visit the park site and buildings.After the first site visit, the team reviewed literature and sources relevant to historic parks, buildings, and green buildings.The team reviewed research that measured indoor environmental quality of public buildings (e.g., Kim & Lee, 2014;Lee & Kim, 2009;USGBC, 2009).
The team also consulted five green building experts to confirm the items in the assessment checklist.The five experts had ten or longer years of experience in green building design and management and were LEED Accredited Professionals.The LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) is an accredited credential issued by the US Green Building Council for the individuals who have passed the LEED AP tests (USGBC, 2016).Most of the LEED APs have extensive experience in green building design or maintenance.The research followed the process depicted in figure 4.
Based on the literature review and the experts' input, the team developed an assessment tool presented in table 2 and visited the site twice to measure indoor elemental conditions.The assessment tool for the indoor environmental quality had items for identifying problems in indoor temperature, humidity, and indoor air quality.It also evaluate the following contents of the buildings.In the Walker Tavern building, the kitchen had some windows but their placement in relation to the position of the sun did not provide adequate lighting.Other rooms in the Walker Tavern building did not provide appropriate bulbs.The rooms had windows to admit natural light.Illumination in the Hewitt House building was less when the lights were turned off.Most spaces did not provide adequate lighting for certain tasks.Lighting was identified as a serious problem that needed improvement.

Building Orientation
The orientations of the buildings can affect illumination and temperature controls of the buildings (USGBC, 2011).The main entrance of the target buildings faced south.The longer exterior walls also faced south, which could admit more daylight to the interior spaces.Figures 13 and 14 show the buildings' exteriors that take daylight.The future improvement plan should maximize these advantages.

Operable Windows
Operable windows can admit fresh air from outside (USGBC, 2011).Operable can also help to control indoor temperature and humidity.All windows in the two building were checked to see if they could be opened easily.None of the windows in Walker Tavern building were easy to open.Some were sealed shut.The windows in this building still had their original shapes and finishes.They have not been updated for several decades.Therefore, the windows did not function properly for the purpose of ventilation.
Unlike those in the Walker Tavern building, most of the windows in the Hewitt House building could be opened and closed, but only with difficulty.Some window frames of this building had been repainted or remounted.Therefore, they could be used for ventilation purpose.Yet, the windows needed strong forces to be pushed or pulled to open and close.Figures 15 and 16 show the windows in these two buildings.Although the windows were not easy to use, they still let plenty of daylight into the buildings.This natural light improved the indoor environmental quality of the buildings.In Walker Tavern building the distance from the floor to the window aprons ranged from 23 1/2 inches to 44 1/2 inches.This meant that wheelchair users could access them.However, the windows were sealed shut, so they were not operable.The windows in Hewitt House building were also of appropriate heights, ranging from 23 inches to 25 inches.
ADA guidelines state that operable parts of a window shall be operable with one hand and shall not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist (Civil Rights Division, 2010).The force required to operate a window shall be 5 pounds maximum.The current windows in these two buildings were reachable but did not meet the ADA guidelines for the operation.Due to this reason, they could not be used as a source of natural ventilation for the buildings.

Discussion about the Indoor Environmental Quality
This study focused on several elements to affect indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of the historic buildings housed in a state park.Those elements were identified based on the literature review and the US Green Building Council's four elements contributing toward IEQ.Considering the limited functions of the buildings currently, the research team focused on CO 2 , temperature, humidity, and illumination levels in indoor spaces.Because most lighting fixtures have not been properly updated, a further analysis regarding the illumination levels will not be provided in this paper.
The levels of CO 2 , temperature, and humidity were compared to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) (2013).Table 5 presents these comparisons.The temperatures in the Walker Tavern building's interior spaces did not meet the ASHRAE standards, but humidity and CO 2 levels in the room did.In the Hewitt House building, indoor temperatures met the standards, but the humidity in several spaces were below ASHRAE standards.Those spaces were the first floor office for the staff and the bathroom where their indoor temperatures were slightly higher than other spaces.The fact that the indoor spaces with higher temperatures had lower humidity indicated that the indoor environmental quality of these buildings was not being maintained appropriately.

Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment Tool Development
This study focused on two historic buildings located in a state park.From this case study, the research team proposed an assessment tool that can briefly check indoor environmental quality in the old buildings in state parks.The research team labeled this tool as "Indoor environmental quality quick assessment tool for state park buildings."Table 6 presents the items to be measured and descriptions of the measurement methods.
The tool includes measuring temperature, humidity, and indoor air quality of individual spaces.The assessment tool also checks lighting fixtures, illumination, and energy-efficiency of the fixtures.The window features, such as orientations, heights, widths, and operability, will be assessed.The conditions of interior finishes and wall and attic insulations are also included in the assessment tool.Lastly the air ducts and vents will be checked to assess the maintenance and cleanness.Based on assessing these conditions using this assessment tool, an improvement plan for any park building's indoor environmental quality could be initiated.The DNR manages the park planning and maintenance, but each park has been run independently by the staff members who are affiliated with their own parks.Therefore, each state park has buildings in different conditions.This fact brought a strong need for developing a comprehensive plan for the buildings in state parks.DNR has established common goals for park planning, but a comprehensive plan for maintaining and upgrading the buildings in the state parks has not been implemented well.To project a long-term vision for the sustainable park buildings, a comprehensive plan for embracing entire state parks and buildings needs to be developed.Based on this plan, individual parks can take the advanced steps to promote or upgrade their parks to serve the needs of visitors, employees, and local communities.
Despite this limitation, the results and suggestions from this case study can be employed by the researchers who will attempt evaluating the buildings in any state parks and identify the problems in the indoor environmental quality of such buildings.In fact, the tool was utilized later in assessing the indoor environmental quality of several buildings in other state parks in Michigan.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3. Two building in the Cambridge Junction Historic State Park (Photo credit by the author)

Table 1 .
Current conditions of the Walker Tavern Building and Hewitt House Figure 4.

Figure 15 .
Figure 15.Windows in Walker Tavern Building Figure 16.Window in Hewitt House Building

Table 2 .
It

Table 5 .
Comparison of indoor environmental conditions between in the target buildings and the ASHRAE standards

Table 6 .
Indoor environmental quality primary assessment tool to historic park buildings Measure indoor air quality and temperature in every space and identify problems in temperature, humidity, indoor air quality (CO 2 level) -Bring a laptop and install the program and create a table Check lighting fixtures and measure illumination of each space:Lighting fixture examples can be fluorescent, incandescent, or LED bulbs, ceiling fan, wall sconce, wall mount, and so on.IEQ of park buildings, other state parks could have been maintained properly to provide better indoor environmental quality condition.