Elementary, My Dear Watson
Below, acla:works director, Peter Chandler, puts into words one of the spirited rants we're used to hearing from him around the office.
February 09 was one of those interesting days regarding the subject of architecture in T&T. It seems that the stars so aligned to produce pronouncements regarding our local architectural context.
First alignment of stars came in the pronouncements of the now infamous Mr. Watson Duke of the PSA regarding Trinidad House on St Vincent Street. As a reference for taxpayers, it is the building that currently houses the Board of Inland Revenue. Well, Duke is claiming the building is unsafe because of bullet holes on a fourth floor window, issues with the sewer system a year ago, and that it is one of the oldest buildings in Port of Spain so workers are to stay home.
This last point is not fact but what is disturbing is that a building should be unfit for occupancy because of age. So are we to just abandon buildings because our public servants can’t work in old buildings? Are not public servants – the same ones clamoring for wage increases – responsible for maintaining public buildings? As a tax payer, the situation would have been amusing but for the appalling misinformation being served out by Mr. Duke for his own self interest. Who is really exploiting the workers?
Continuing with the alignment of stars, that same day in the afternoon I had the pleasure of participating in a workshop on Green Building and Energy Efficiency at the 2011 Energy Conference of T&T. Well, when we talk about green buildings we almost immediately start thinking about new buildings. It so happens and here are some facts and questions:
- Buildings account for some 30% of energy consumption and therefore contribute as much to the greenhouse gas effect.
- Of all the buildings out there, how many are new and how many are old? Who is contributing the most to the greenhouse effect?
- In a 15-year span of a building, say the Trinidad House, on average for every $1.00 in construction spent, the owners will have spent $1.80 in operating cost.
So, if we are really to get after energy conservation, we should be going after old buildings first – of course paying attention that all new buildings be energy efficient, and that task begins with identifying what is wrong with our existing buildings.
Ah for the alignment of stars, Mr. Duke has taken it upon himself to point out all the faults with our public buildings. He may well consider a career change given his little success in negotiation skills so far.
Returning to more serious matters, just imagine the volume of work and how our industry could be reactivated if our Government were to adopt a policy as Mr. Obama announced February 03 with his Green Initiative. One has to go back to the era of the American Depression and Roosevelt to find a scheme comparable in size to reactivate an economy.
– PC
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