...a dedicated effort to reclaim building materials from Strathmore Estates.
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
5:45-7pm
Wild Wing Cafe, City Market
New project aims to bring people together to reuse more
Learn about efforts to reclaim building materials for other uses at April 27 meeting of Savannah Branch of the USGBC-Georgia Chapter
(SAVANNAH) – Learn about a creative new local effort to reclaim building materials for other uses at the April 27 meeting of the USGBC-Georgia Savannah Branch.
The Emergent Structures Projectaims to facilitate the reclamation of building materials and whole buildings from sites that are slated for demolition, and help distribute them for adaptive reuse in architecture, furniture, crafts, and art.
Building materials often go to waste because people who might want them don’t know they are available or how to get them, explained Scott Boylston, Savannah College of Art and Design Professor of Design for Sustainability. The Emergent Structures Project will bring people together so less goes to waste in the landfill, he said. The slated demolition of Strathmore Estates to make way for new affordable housing inspired the founding of the project.
Partnerships include everyone from Girl Scouts to Habitat for Humanity. By nurturing an inclusive social network, Emergent Structures strives to enhance deep and long lasting bonds between diverse communities that may not otherwise communicate well. The group’s motto is “There are many threads in the world; ESP strives to weave.”
The large-scale reclamation project will be executed by a diversearray of artisans, designers, architects and other creative professionals. It is intended to create an international model of collaborative material re-use. The goal is to coordinate the salvage and distribution of as much building material as possible, and to record the numerous innovative re-use projects that transpire over the ensuing year.
The Savannah Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council-Georgia Chapter meeting will be held April 27from 5:45-7 p.m. on the second floor of Wild Wing Cafe in City Market. Meetings are free and open to the public. RSVP by April 22 at www.usgbcga.org.
Site-visits, interviews and photo documentation of individual projects will be conducted to record the process. At a later date, a gallery show of objects and structures that have been created with the salvaged materials will be held in conjunction with a symposium focusing on this community-wide endeavor to reduce material waste, to reinvent the meaning of material adaptation, and to develop best practices, and inspiring case studies.
The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.
The Savannah Branch of the U.S. Green Building Council – Georgia Chapter is dedicated to promoting sustainable design and green building throughout the Creative Coast. The group meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday of the month. The meetings are open to the public, and everyone is encouraged to attend. The USGBC-Georgia Savannah Branch seeks to educate the public on the long-term benefits of green building and how sustainable design can be integrated or implemented into one's life. www.usgbcga.org
