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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

CLIMATE RESILIENCE GUIDELINES FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES

RFP ISSUE DATE: March 10, 2023

Purpose

The Preservation Society of Charleston (PSC) is seeking a consultant to develop Charleston's first Climate Resilience Guidelines for Historic Properties to outline best practices for building resilience of existing properties, with an emphasis on historic buildings, and provide a clear path for project implementation. The goal is to empower historic property owners to undertake sensitive, adaptations for changing climate conditions, in support of long-term preservation of Charleston's built environment and better livability for residents. The project will be done in collaboration with the City of Charleston and Clemson University.

Background & Project Information

Historic property owners in Charleston are on the front lines of devising adaptation strategies for changing climate conditions. The Preservation Society champions citizen efforts in this arena through initiatives like the the "Heros of Resilience" photojournalism project that showcases residents on the frontlines of combating flooding issues, and Carolopolis Award for Resilience, given on an annual basis to exceptional examples of creative, climate adaptation projects. In this vein, we also work to support innovative policies to enhance the collective resilience of our built environment, and give residents better tools to address rising water on their properties.

Generally, while the concept of resilience has gained importance in recent years, the community's strong ethic for preservation and high standards for top quality design can often make integrating resilience measures within historic contexts challenging. Although the approach of elevating of historic buildings has been recently embraced, other flood proofing and water management methods have not been formally vetted for compatibility with Charleston's unique urban environment.

Through study of existing policies and stakeholder collaboration, the consultant will develop recommended design approaches for resilience and sustainability adaptations that are compatible with Charleston's architectural character and consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties. In support of the PSC's mission and goals for enhancing Charleston's resilience, the project objective is to create a user-friendly resource that can be referenced in everyday decision making. Specifically, the guidelines will provide clarity to property owners on resilience project options and how to navigate the city approval process, as well as serve as a resource for city staff and board members in considering appropriateness of proposals to elevate, floodproof, or otherwise adapt historic properties.

Scope of Work

The consultant will develop a user-friendly, highly-illustrative resource with comprehensive information on best practices for building resilience of historic properties in Charleston. The final product will consist of a booklet-type document with clear, comprehensible language, digestible sections, and graphic examples that will be made publicly accessible in paper and digital formats.

1. Major project phases
2. Research/Information Gathering
   1. Analysis of local planning and design documents, existing examples of climate adaptation strategies, as well as external, comparable policies guiding climate response in historic contexts
   2. Site visits to gain understanding of local context and existing adaptation examples
   3. Interviews with key stakeholders including residents, city staff, civic leaders, and design professionals to determine community values and goals for resilience in the historic district
3. Stakeholder Engagement & Design Development
   1. Organize and facilitate a minimum of 3 engagement events with identified stakeholders, including project partners, local design professionals, and student groups. The purpose of these events is to form an understanding of community values for resilience and workshop preferred design approaches for adaptation projects. These events may take the form of focus group meetings, interview series, design charettes, public presentation/workshop, etc. and should be outlined by the consultant as part of their proposal.
   2. Synthesize stakeholder feedback to inform recommended adaptation strategies and source/create accompanying images such as photographs, drawings, or renderings to illustrate design approaches
4. Document Drafting
   1. Compile information gathered over the previous phases into a draft guideline document, incorporating sections outlined under "Deliverables"
   2. Submit draft document for comments from PSC Staff
5. Finalization of Guideline Document & Submission

Guideline content

The guidelines should strongly reference the National Park Service's "Guidelines on Flood Adaptation for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings," as well as FEMA publications, including fact sheets and technical bulletins, regarding historic properties/cultural resources and design treatment for floodproofing and mitigation. Guideline elements may include, but are not limited, to the following:

1. Overview of historic preservation as a sustainable practice
2. Background information on Charleston's historic evolution and relationship with water, sea level rise and changing climate conditions
3. Compilation of relevant regulations and procedures for adaptation projects; information on determining flood risk and mitigation approaches
4. Illustrated design options for flood adaptation options for historic buildings (i.e., elevation, floodproofing)
5. Illustrated design options for sustainability retrofits for historic buildings (i.e., solar panels, energy efficiency measures, water management techniques)
6. List of relevant resources

Project meetings

The consultant is expected to participate in a minimum of 3 check-in meetings with PSC Staff at the conclusion of major project milestones to review progress and discuss next steps. The consultant is also expected to participate in engagement with stakeholders, including city staff, design professionals, and student groups, but will share this responsibility with PSC Staff. Level of participation and division of duties for engagement may be proposed by the consultant as part of their submission. Finally, the consultant is expected to present the final product to the PSC, as well as other pertinent stakeholders.

Project Timeline & Deliverables

Meeting & deliverable schedule

The implementation of the project will be facilitated by a consultant in collaboration with PSC Staff and partners, over a course of 8-12 months:

• RFP Issue Date: March 10, 2023
• Proposal Due Date: April 14, 2023
• Selected Consultant Notified: April 28, 2023
• Project Starts: May 8, 2023
• Site visits, research, information gathering: Summer, 2023
• Check-in meeting 1: August 25, 2023
• Stakeholder engagement, design development: Fall, 2023
• Check-in meeting 2: December 8, 2023
• Document drafting: Winter-Spring, 2024
• Draft guidelines due by consultant: March 15, 2024
• PSC, City, and Clemson comments due: April 5, 2024
• Final product due: April 26, 2024

Work product

At the end of the contract, the consultant will deliver the following work products:

1. Four print copies of the guidelines
2. Electronic (e.g., PDF) version of the guidelines
3. High-resolution images (e.g., JPEG) of the photos, drawings, and/or renderings
4. Final presentation to PSC Staff and other pertinent stakeholders

All work products prepared under the terms of the contract are the property of PSC and shall be delivered at the end of the contract to PSC in a form or forms specified in this RFP, the contract, or as otherwise agreed in writing by the parties. Any publications of work by the consultant requires approval from PSC.

Professional Standards

Key personnel completing this project must meet or exceed the Secretary of the Interior's "Professional Qualifications Standards" (36 CFR Part 61) in the fields of Historic Architecture and/or Architectural History, and also have demonstrated experience with historic building technology, adaptation and mitigation design for historic resources vulnerable to flooding. Evidence may include publications, historic rehabilitations, and flood mitigation planning documents. See below for submission requirements.

Proposal Submission Requirements

• Overview of consulting firm
• Names and contact information of the proposed project lead
• Resume(s) of project lead(s), and additional personnel who will be working on the project
• Description of the firm's knowledge of and experience with the following:
  • Climate change and sea level rise science and impacts on historic contexts
  • Federal policies relevant to flood mitigation and adaptation
  • Charleston's historic architectural character
  • Development of architectural graphics
  • Facilitation of stakeholder engagement
• Examples of at least two (2) projects of a similar nature in the past five (5) years with work samples and/or links to published materials, and include letters of recommendations from these past clients attesting to the firm's abilities as it relates to the Scope of Work.
• Description of the proposed methodology to accomplish the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work, adhering to the Project Timeline in Section IV.
• Detailed cost estimate for project scope

Compensation

Anticipated project cost is $50,000 with consideration of additional funding. Competitiveness of the application and budget will be considered as part of the proposal review process.

Submission Directions

The deadline for submission of proposals is April 14, 2023 at 5:00P.M. Proposals must be submitted electronically as a single PDF document and delivered via email to eminnigan@preservationsociety.org. If the Proposal consists of a large file size that cannot be attached in an email, delivery should be made through a web-based platform such as Dropbox. Submissions should be clearly marked "Climate Resilience Guidelines for Historic Properties" in the subject line.