Demolition and Deconstruction

Our design and plan for this total green renovation is being accomplished with the guidance of the United States Green Building Council's LEED standards. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Sustainable Urban Village is a proud member of the USGBC because we believe that terms like "green building" and "sustainable development" only have true meaning when there are industry-wide standards discussed, agreed upon, and adhered to.

It's not enough just to say you're a green builder any more. Instead, with guided planning and strict analysis of green build projects, the USGBC provides a framework and point system to describe just how green your project really is. It let's us quantify what "green" really means through metrics of energy use, resource depletion, site impact, occupant health, and waste generation to name a few. What's more, the USGBC encases its prescribed strategies for sustainable development in an economic argument. If you go to the USGBC Home Page, you'll see that they are presently offering five new examples of recent green build projects that actually saved the building owners money. Economic Prosperity. Ecological Wisdom.




In following the LEED standards, we are currently endeavoring to minimize our waste streams during the demolition by deconstructing as much usable material as possible. So far we've managed to salvage almost a dozen 2x4 studs that we'll later use for interior wall framing, and a kitchen sink that will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity Outlet Store along with a garbage disposal and some kitchen cabinetry. Additionally, we've separated all of the old wooden lathe slats that were used to form the original walls and ceiling from the tons of plaster that bound them, and have donated them as firewood to eager takers through Craig's List. We offered the plaster as well through Craig's List as "excellent landscaping fill" to any would-be takers, and found a wonderful recipient. We brought one full trailer-load of plaster rubble to a woman who was growing wild mushrooms that called for a high level of gypsum in her compost. One man's trash is another man's treasure!



Deconstruction and demolition should be complete by the end of the week. We hope to use most of the rest of the "waste" for our own landscaping and firewood needs, and will continue to endeavor to avoid the landfill as much as is feasible. Once the house is stripped down to its strong brick-walled bones, we'll be able to address any structural repair needed on the foundation from above, and start building a beautiful new home inside this charming old shell - the ultimate recycling in home building!