Abstract
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.
Highlights
1.1 BackgroundThe 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)
This study proposed an assessment tool for the historic buildings in the state parks in Michigan to assess current indoor environmental quality of those buildings
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
Summary
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 formulated building management strategies for the state parks and their buildings located in those parks. 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. Walker Tavern building was a popular travelers’ destination since it was famous for its dinner menu and antiques (Quinn Evans Architects, 2003)
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