Above: Built for transporting cargo, the train cars date from the early 20th century and have been fully refurbished for year-round living: each has a sitting room, full kitchen, bedroom, and bath.
Join us for a tour of our favorite attraction, the two antique railway carriages that they converted into storybook guest quarters, each overlooking a lake.
Source: Ultimate Cozy Cabins: Rustic Retreats Made from Converted Antique Train Cars
Keith Raymond designs and builds houses using reclaimed materials. ISLANDER PHOTOS BY SARAH HINCKLEY
Different types of wood aren’t the only thing Raymond seeks to salvage from assorted online sites. He also finds windows, appliances, tiles and fixtures. Recently, Raymond had a lead on a slate sink that slipped through his fingers.
Source: Salvage beauty: Builder delights in designing with discards – Mount Desert Islander
Wesley Posvar Jr.
“It’s a project started by Jay Troutman to make sure we reuse and repurpose as much of the materials and plants as we can,” he said. “It started with the plants,” said Mr. Troutman, vice president of Fox Chapel Borough Council.
Source: Onetime Fred Rogers weekend retreat will be part of ‘forest with homes’ | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Vault Office tenants enjoy ground-floor retail amenities.
The Brookings Institute forecasts that 82 billion square feet of existing space in the United States will be demolished and replaced between 2005 and 2030 – roughly one-quarter of today’s existing building stock. Further, as noted by the American Institute of Architects in its recent statement on climate action, in the U.S. alone nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to carbon produced by buildings during construction and everyday operations. Embodied carbon from construction represents a
Source: Redeveloping, Repositioning Existing Assets for a New Generation – Colorado Real Estate Journal
Researchers have developed a new type of rubber polymer that can be combined with various waste materials and repeatedly recycledfranckito/Depositphotos
This allows the material to be shaped into tubing, coatings, bumpers, insulation, and many other things you’d normally find made of rubber. But the important thing is that this isn’t the end of the story. Once these products have worn out or are no longer needed, they aren’t just thrown away – the rubber can be ground up into powder, placed back into a mold, and recycled into something new.
Source: “Green” recyclable rubber gives new life to single-use building materials
In recognition of national Preservation Month, Preservation New Jersey (PNJ) announced its annual list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey at a virtual press conference on Thursday, May 14, 2019.
“Salvaged from old buildings or junkyards, these items ensure a home’s uniqueness,” says George DeMarco, real estate agent with Halstead Manhattan, “and can boost resale value if done well. Walking into new construction and seeing a blast from the architectural past often can make just enough difference in the buyer’s mind to help make the sale.”
Nest Egg Auctions will sell the entire contents of a Connecticut Shoreline Antiques shop on May 22nd. (Ryan Brechlin)
The shop has been in this location for more than seven years and has accumulated a large inventory. The collection will be sold in one lot to the highest bidder at absolute auction.
Source: Entire Clinton Antique Shop Up For Auction | Clinton, CT Patch
Jocelyn Aucoin of the Canning-based 1850 House specializes in dismantling historic structures by hand and salvaging material that can be reused. – Ashley Thompson
Aucoin sees the growing popularity of tiny homes as an opportunity to find another use for the reclaimed material 1850 House is able to salvage by carefully dismantling heritage homes in a manner the significantly reduces the amount of waste bound for a landfill.
The building on May 7, when demolition had begun on the rear addition. Photos by Brent Warren.
“We believe value should be placed on the fact that it is the last of the original grand homes and apartments that originally stood on 18th St.,” the letter reads. “We’ve supported efforts to demolish buildings for the child care center expansion but do not believe a surface parking lot is reasonable justification to entirely erase our history.”
Source: Demolition of Building Underway Despite Neighborhood Opposition – ColumbusUnderground.com
The farmhouse-inspired kitchen employs tractor seats repurposed as bar stools, floating cabinets, and exposed brick.
Upstairs, the architectural salvage continues in the open-concept living areas, with repurposed light fixtures, a tin accent wall, and galvanized buckets for sinks. The farmhouse-inspired kitchen boasts tractor seats as bar stools.
Source: Barn house for sale in Nebraska has horse stalls for bedrooms – Curbed
Headed by architects Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, HANNAH was able to repurpose wood from ash trees damaged by an invasive beetle species to build the Ashen Cabin, a modern, tiny cabin completely constructed using 3D-printing of timber and concrete.
Source: Architects turn waste wood into a 3D-printed cabin in upstate New York
Vena Cava. Cheers_to_Travels
That Gregory lived a past life as a sailor is evident in the nautical theme running through Vena Cava’s design, which playfully juxtaposes with the winery’s desert setting. That he has a soft spot for sustainability is evident in much of it being made from reclaimed materials.
Source: Vena Cava – Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico – Gastro Obscura
Image courtesy of John Folan
Millvale Moose is an adaptive reuse project that won an AIA Pennsylvania Honor Award and a Design Pittsburgh Certificate of Merit.
The Millvale Moose project is an adaptive reuse of an abandoned Moose Lodge in Millvale, Pennsylvania, that transformed an underutilized structure into a public venue housing a commercial kitchen and a communal social space. The project used reconstituted marble slabs and lumber from buildings that were taken down.
Image: courtesy Doughnut Economics Action Lab
According to the model, no one should fall into the hole in the center of the doughnut, which would mean they don’t have enough to afford basic needs. The outer ring of the doughnut represents the ecological limits of the planet, from biodiversity loss and air pollution to climate breakdown.
Source: Amsterdam is now using the “doughnut” model of economics
The city needs to use original brick to reconstruct the corner of 234 Butler St. Photo by Meg Capone
Federal and state officials have upheld an agreement with the city to reuse tens of thousands of original bricks to restore the facade of the historic Gowanus Station site when construction crews tear down the building for a new water-filtration facility, according to an April 21 letter.
Source: City must reuse old bricks to build Butler Street head house: EPA • Brooklyn Paper
Tom Lear’s tiny house, near Bristol, is made entirely from reclaimed wood and cost £6,000 to build © Izzy de Wattripont
“I wanted a log-cabin vibe,” he says. Sustainability plays a big part in Lear’s project: nearly every surface, both external and internal, is made from reclaimed wood.
Source: The big idea behind the ‘tiny house’ movement | Financial Times
HINDUSTAN TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES
Concrete mixing machines line up at the construction site for high-rise buildings on April 10 in Kolkata, India.
The construction industry — from the mining and smelting of raw materials to dealing with the waste from demolished structures — has a huge environmental footprint that is often overlooked. It produces 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a staggeringly high number, four times the emissions of the whole aviation sector.
Source: Construction Causes Major Pollution. Here’s How We Can Build Better. | HuffPost
“What’s allowed to disposed of — the materials management — we want to use the science and the data to properly regulate it,” Brinchek said. “We are the receivers of the material, not the generators.”
Source: Your discarded carpet is poisoning the Earth with PFAS | NC Policy Watch
HildaWeges | Adobe Stock
Frankly, the design industry just isn’t thinking about what will happen at the end of material life. And if the design industry isn’t thinking about it, and isn’t asking manufacturers to create products that cater to these needs, the result is a vast disconnect between how and what we are putting into our buildings and the ability to reuse or recycle these items at the end of their initial lives.
Source: The importance of materials recovery coordination in construction & demolition – Waste Today
[Vicious Squid] dug in to the fertile soil of the garden implement world and cultivated a three-string upright bass with a rich, soulful sound from a familiar workhorse — an aluminium wheelbarrow.
Much of the build is made from reclaimed wood, like the solid mahogany neck from an old door frame, and a broom handle.
A demolition crew tore down 184 W. Utica St. on Feb. 27. The green light by the city came two days after the Buffalo Preservation Board voted unanimously to landmark the 1907 building designed by Albert Schallmo, an architect who worked on the acclaimed Blessed Trinity Church on the East Side. (John Hickey/Buffalo News)
“The irony here is while the demolition was happening on West Utica, on the front page of the Buffalo paper that day was a quote from director Guillermo Del Toro saying that the whole reason he selected Buffalo to film ‘Nightmare Alley’ was because of the quality of the architecture in our city,” Howard said.
Source: Once demolition permit is sought, it may be too late to stop wrecking ball – The Buffalo News
Silos after the transformation (Right) The metal silos that previously served as storage units.
The silhouette of these metal silos offers contrast to the rigid geometry of the building and hence shows up as a sculptural insert.
“The results of deconstruction are less dumping in landfills, prevention of demolition by neglect, and healthier and safer neighborhoods. In the long term, we envision a citywide ordinance to deconstruct historic structures instead of demolishing them. This will significantly improve the environmental impact of the City of Savannah.” said Mae Bowley, Executive Director of Re:Purpose
The Modern House
Inside, the apartments embrace their loft heritage with the requisite modern-meets-industrial touches.
Source: Minimalist loft homes built atop London button factory – Curbed
AELS buys end-of-life aircraft, which our highly skilled mechanics carefully disassemble.The removed parts are then placed in inventory, recertified and returned to the market. We are the only company that handles the entire supply chain for aircraft disassembly and dismantling.
Source: AELS | Aircraft End-of-Life Solutions, We love aircraft
An illustration of how the new school could look once finished.
Veidekke
“Whatever you are going to construct, from an environmental perspective, your number one priority is to ensure your designers are focused on enabling you to build something that is energy efficient, uses materials that have a low embodied carbon and can be easily maintained, re-purposed and ultimately, after a long and useful lifetime, be recycled,” Dominic Burbridge, associate director of the Carbon Trust, said in a statement sent to CNBC.com.
Source: Innovation and tech are transforming the buildings we learn in
DannyO Busswithnoname
Repurposed pallet wood is used on the walls, and heat is provided by a wood stove.
Source: Old School Bus Gets New Life As Cozy RV With Room To Spare
Courtesy Mikael Lundblad
“I think this is one of the last buildings from that era,” says Sean O’Connor, the general manager and partner of KEX Portland. “So it’s nice to be able to preserve the original history and character of that Eastside industrial area.”
Source: A Historic Portland Building Turns Over a New Leaf—as a Stylish Hostel – Metropolis
The Go Place Spa has set up shop in the former Cineplex Odeon First Markham Place in suburban Toronto. GO PLACE SPA
Creative adaptations of former cinemas in Canada include churches, drug stores and cannabis dispensaries.
Source: What happens to cinemas in a streaming world? – The Globe and Mail
Flushing Town Hall’s deputy director Sami Abu Shumays will be giving our Insiders a virtual tour of the historic building, revealing many of the secrets we discovered including a former jail cell that is now a dressing room!
Source: Join a Virtual Tour and Violin Performance at Flushing Town Hall – Untapped New York
Household waste in Kamikatsu must be sorted into no fewer than 45 categories. Photograph: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images
Household waste must be separated into no fewer than 45 categories, before being taken to a collection centre where volunteers ensure items go into the correct bin, occasionally issuing polite reminders to anyone who forgets to take the lid and label off a plastic bottle or remove nails from a plank of wood.
Source: ‘No-waste’ Japanese village is a peek into carbon-neutral future | World news | The Guardian
The former Ottawa Street Power Station in Lansing, Michgian, stopped producing power in 1992 and finally reopened in 2011 as the headquarters for an insurance company, the Accident Fund, now called the AF Group.
“One of the really cool things about retired coal-fired plants is they have built-in infrastructure and components that can be repurposed for new industry,” said John Kowalik, director of marketing and public relations for Environmental Liability Transfer. “Like access to rail, ports and waterways … and good highway transportation. Typically the grids can be reused for another purpose too, like solar or wind. There’s a direct grid connection at the power plant.”
Source: Coal-fired power plants finding new uses as data centers, clean energy hubs | Energy News Network
Construction has started on a nearly 6,000-square-foot vessel deconstruction facility in Ilwaco slated for completion this fall. The facility will be located at 165 Howerton Ave., the current location of a boat-storage yard. Luke Whittaker
Derelict vessels often contain large quantities of oil, lead, asbestos or other toxic substances that could pose a threat to animals and the environment. If leaked or leached, these can injure or kill marine mammals, waterfowl and other aquatic life; and contaminate aquatic lands, nearby shorelines and water. “There’s a lot on a vessel to prevent life from attaching. They’ve found those contaminants in orcas and salmon, which could be attributed to derelict vessels. We wish we could remove them all,” Wood
IMAGE: Courtesy of Shine Distillery.
Shine Distillery and Grill, on North Williams Avenue, is repurposing the high-proof byproduct from its 130-gallon steel-and-copper still to produce hand cleaner, and making it available to the public in 2.7-ounce bottles.
Source: A Portland Distillery Is Making Its Own Hand Cleaner in the Wake of Coronavirus – Willamette Week
Isaac Brock’s Oregon home is a hit. Records show the Modest Mouse frontman sold the 111-year-old Craftsman for $1.09 million, finding a buyer after just a month on the market.
Source: Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock parts with Portland Craftsman – Los Angeles Times
Meanwhile, the ordinance’s continued suspension provides more time to develop a market for materials recycled from deconstructed houses. Selling those materials helps reduce the higher cost of deconstruction.
Source: Milwaukee extends freeze on requirement to dismantle old houses
Photo: The Architectural Team’s Bob Verrier has designed more than 50 award-winning historic buildings and preserved the architectural heritage of hundreds of historic structures across the country.
“The idea of restoring and bringing a building back to usefulness is very rewarding,” he says. “A new building is a new building, but restoring a historic building, it gives more energy. It’s like taking something that’s not being used, something that was very functional at one time, and now you bring it back to life. That’s what you’re doing: breathing new life into old bones.”
Source: Bob Verrier Champions Historic Renovation and Adaptive Reuse
PHOTO: Australian Red Cross Head of Retail Richard Wood says about 6,000 kilograms of textiles go into landfill every 10 minutes. (ABC Capricornia: Paul Robinson)
“That is trying to get the product to its original fibre content and to be able to repurpose it into other materials, potentially things like building materials.
Buildings that previously housed banks tend to be popular as they already have secure structures that comply with the cannabis industry’s unique security provisions – including vaults, safes, blocked-off areas and advanced security systems – in turn requiring less of an investment from the operator to implement these requirements.
Source: Adaptive Reuse is the Future of Cannabis Retail | GlobeSt
The National Association of Home Builders reports that 58,600 houses were removed from their lots in 2017 to make way for newer, almost always larger, houses. Many of them were obsolete places that nobody wanted, and the land under most was probably more valuable than the houses themselves. But instead of being demolished, at least some could have been deconstructed: taken apart systematically so their parts could be reused.
Source: Let’s Stop the Demolition Derby – Banker & Tradesman
Image: Photo of two metal circles on metal stands filled with multicolored resin and automative paint starbursts planted outside the artist’s studio like flowers. Photo by Debra Domal
These human-made flowers, grown from repurposed materials, seem perfectly at home in nature.
Source: Meet local 3D artist Gregory Stallmeyer : Arts : Smile Politely
Image: author provided.
Advanced sensors and AI that can detect quickly and determine accurately what can be used among CDW and efficient robotic sorting could aid circular construction by vastly improving the recycling of a wide range of materials. The focus should be on the smart dismantling of buildings and ways of optimising cost-effective processes.
Source: Here’s how we can recycle more buildings | CityMetric
55 Southbank Boulevard by Bates Smart. Image: Hume Partners Property
Bates Smart designed a 10 storey structure made from engineered timber that sits top of an existing office building in Melbourne’s Southbank. The Adina Apartment Hotel Melbourne Southbank is set to open later in 2020.
Source: Tallest timber adaptive reuse building set to open | ArchitectureAU
The living room of Cathy Ehrler and Donald Thurman’s converted warehouse home is light and open, with high ceilings and windows lining the walls.
“I’m really into reuse and recycling — and I’ve been that way all my life — and one of the reasons that I loved this space is that we are reusing space in an old building,” said Cathy, “and we used as much as the original as possible.”
“We had the view for a very long time to think about the construction of developing and repurposing buildings from the view of what is the anticipated life of the building and ask ‘am I building this in a way that makes sense for the intended use?’” Anderson said.
Source: Construction Industry Weighs Building Lifespan to Fight Climate Change | GlobeSt
“We are working on preserving as much as we can that’s in the mill itself,” said Derek Morton the Garfield Township Park Steward. “It’s in rough shape right now, but we want to work with the family now that we know Jack’s around and has a lot of interest in it.”
Source: Traverse City man wants to salvage a piece of his history: The “Old Franke Mill” | WPBN
Jenni and Andy Wilson’s move to a 1923 Tudor Revival on South Edisto was, for Jenni, a dream come true. Marrying old and new architecture with a classic cottage feel, the renovation is masterful. The 100 to 200 year old reclaimed French terracotta floor tiles in the kitchen are the pièces de résistance, and the ILVE Italian 48-inch black enameled range with brass claw feet is a much used and loved focal point.
The island is made from reclaimed heart pine from the house.
Source: Sweet Olive Cottage – Columbia Metropolitan Magazine
“In a demolition project, the entire building is demolished and wrecked,” said Olivia Cashman, construction and waste specialist with Hennepin County. “Whereas in a deconstruction project, the building is taken a part and it’s typically by hand so that process typically takes a lot more labor and time.”
Source: Hennepin County Encourages Deconstructing, Not Demolishing Through Grants – CCX Media
