April was an amazing month here on the RA and we had so much fun!
(and by we I mean me)
I am just returning from Decon ’13 in Seattle, Washington, the second gathering of building material reuse professionals I made it to in April.
Earlier in the month I attended the Reclaim + Remake Symposium in Washington, DC. Both events were mind-blowingly educational. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the coordinators who clearly worked their butts off to make these events successful.
While both conferences focused on building material reuse, they were totally unique in their approaches to the issues. We are a multi-disciplined group in this field, so I am grateful that these events reflect the diversity of the industry. I am looking forward to a time where the entire month of April is filled with events on building material reuse!
Presenters and new friends, your passion for your work humbles me.
From every possible angle and framework people brought energy and excitement about their way of moving the industry forward. From Deconstruction techniques (I geeked out) to symbolism and design recognition, to education, mapping resources opportunities and everything in between, one thing I can say about us is we are dedicated!
Awesomeness achieved by the numbers:
- 15 – number of States represented spoken with: Ohio, California, Vermont, New York, Washington, Illinois, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida, Quebec, Oregon, British Columbia, Wisconsin, and Maine.
- 101 – requests for information on the RA. You people are demanding! But I am grateful for your interest and support. I will do my best to provide the information you are seeking.
- 1 – dirty joke told (my formal apologies to Dayton, Ohio)
- 1 – life changing restroom meeting, and astounding RA success story!! Look for this later as a separate post.
- 3 – assignments given to others (you know who you are).
1. Glossary of terms. We need a common language people! One deconstructionist showed me her card and her title is “Soft Strip Coordinator”. No. Just, No. We can do better people, lets do better.
2. Make a trip to see The City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. This is a pilgrimage for anyone interested in the endless possibilities of reuse design. Or if you are in need of convincing your loved one that you are not a hoarder, but actually a genius (seriously, this might save your marriage).
3. Send your accomplishments and updates to the RA. I can’t impress upon you enough that what you do inspires others. So please, please, send me your stories!
My utmost and sincere thanks to everyone for your encouragement, feedback, and support of myself and The Reclamation Administration.
Happy May Day everyone!
-Sara B.
