08/10/2023
Old Growth Rescue
Love this old growth rescue initiative! Illuma and Sapperton Living is trying to save old growth lumber through Deconstruction while reducing landfill waste! Amazing system, Erick Serpas Ventura from Vema Deconstruction and thank you Gil Yaron from Lighthouse for the introduction!
Deconstruction and demolition are two ways developers can remove a home. While demolition involves the complete destruction of a building, deconstruction focuses on disassembling it with the goal of maximizing material recovery and minimizing waste.
Here are some benefits of deconstruction compared to demolition:
1. Environmental Sustainability: Deconstruction promotes sustainability by reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. It allows for the salvaging and recycling of materials such as wood, metal, concrete, and fixtures, which can be reused or repurposed. By diverting materials from landfill disposal, deconstruction helps conserve resources and reduce the environmental impact associated with manufacturing new materials. We managed to divert approximately 40,000 pounds from the landfill.
2. Resource Conservation: Deconstruction allows for the recovery of valuable resources embedded within a structure. These homes where over 100 years old and had beautiful lumber that still had much life to give.
3. Historic Preservation: Deconstruction is particularly advantageous when dealing with historically significant structures or buildings with architectural value. It allows for the careful removal of elements that can be preserved, such as old growth wood, stained glass, or unique fixtures. This preservation was also lighter for the community than simply demolition and sending materials to landfill.
4. Reduced Environmental Hazards: Demolition often involves the use of heavy machinery and other destructive techniques that can release hazardous materials, such as asbestos, lead-based paint, or chemical contaminants, into the environment. Deconstruct
