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Deconstruction in Action
The ReUse People Oakland, California The ReUse People are among the best and the brightest of the deconstruction movement in the US. Since beginning operations in l993 as a non-profit organization in San Diego, serving both sides of the border with deconstruction services and resale operations. Starting out with a unique yard with stacks of shipping containers for specified products, the enterprise has expanded throughout California and much of the West. The Reuse People have taken down hundreds of buildings in the San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Boulder areas through a network of certified, reliable deconstruction technicians. The ReUse People Network has expanded in an effort to standardize efficient practices and share markets. Most recently, The Reuse People have completed a detailed training manual available to their working partners. The Reuse People technicians also specialize in business planning and financing. Stay in touch with these innovative deconstructionists through their email service or subscribe to their hard copy newsletter, the much heralded, Velvet Crowbar. The web page is another gem, including an annotated listing of 100 related local businesses and resources for deconstruction minded consumers in the San Francisco-Oakland region. The listing lays out virtually the entire deconstruction related industry in the area---a model for other deconstruction enterprises and networks. Contact Information: thereusepeople.org Reconnx, Inc. Serving the Reuse Industry Boulder, Colorado Reconnx is the premier company serving the equipment needs of the deconstruction industry. The company was started in l996, by Jon Giltner, a registered structural engineer determined to do his part to reduce waste in the building construction sector. Even as a young engineer, he was frustrated by the site of perfectly good 2" x 12's" and other construction materials being crushed and dumped in a landfill. His career in reuse began. Initially, Giltner focused on finger jointing for used wood and improved the product strength to 95% of the base wood. He adapted table saws and multi-phased drills to the task. His long time attentions to green building lead him to deconstruction as a niche market but a growing one. The mainstay of Reconnx' business is the denailing gun, or the 'nail kicker' which allows workers to use pneumatic energy to blow nails out of recovered wood quickly and without further damage to the material. Customers range from deconstruction companies, to pallet repair operations, to concrete forming companies that take nails out of 3/4" plywood used as forms. The nail-kicker allows the company to efficiently recover $100 per piece sheets of plywood for reuse. Reconnx is improving current models of the nail kicker that will allow the user to match the diameter of the nail with three adjustable drivers. The interchangeable drivers will allow for even more efficiency. Another tool in development will allow nails and screws to be removed by a drill attachment. Reconnx prides itself on making reuse cost effective. "Some projects could not be done economically without this tool," he explains. "One company needed to take down a large grain bin with thousands of feet of valued 2" x 6" and 2" x 8" boards. The nail kicker made it possible to recover and reuse the material." Giltner has a record of community service by helping found the Resource 2000, a construction materials reuse program of the Center for Resource Conservation, based in Boulder, CO. He was also a board member for the deconstruction industry trade association, Used Building Materials Association, the predecessor to the current Building Materials Reuse Association. The Deconstruction Sector in Delaware Wilmington, Delaware In 2007, The Department of Planning, for the city hired Design Contracting, Inc. to deconstruct a formidable building that served as offices and laboratory for the city's Water Department. The building was a unique art deco edifice with unique detailed features and building materials. The Department thought that deconstruction was the proper thing to do. It issued an rfp with clear instructions to earmark extraordinary features to be preserved delivered to non-profit entities in the city. The Wilmington College of Art and Design, housed in an art deco building itself, received the period pieces. Other materials such as doors, marble and tiles went to The Challenge Program. (See below). Design Contractors, Inc., based in Wilmington, won the bid to deconstruct and recycle materials that were not reused. Additional architectural salvage items were stored for the city to incorporate in future renovations. Deconstruction is not new to Andrew Diffley, principal of Design Contractors, Inc. "We've been doing it for 20 years. I just never knew it was called deconstruction." For details contact: Debra Martin, Preservation Planner, City of Wilmington, DE dmartin@ci.wilmington.de.us; and Andrew Diffley, Design Contractors, designcontracting.com Deconstruction also figures prominently in the work of the Challenge Program, a non-profit youth training program based in Wilmington; and Forticon, Inc., a for profit wood furniture manufacturing company based in Newark, DE. The Challenge Program engages 15 youth, 18-21, for 6 months of intensive construction training that includes deconstruction of buildings and on-site classes to help participants obtain their GED high school diplomas. Materials recovered from deconstruction projects are used to renovate two affordable houses per 6-month period. With support from industry and government workforce development grants, the Challenge Program focuses exclusively on at-risk youth. It has a 66% completion rate and an 80% placement rate for participants who complete the program. The Challenge Program provides workers and materials to local enterprises. It works closely with the Laborers and Carpenters Unions. Link: www.challengeprogram.org Although there is no formal deconstruction company operating in the state, The Challenge Program, Inc. and the Wilmington Planning Department are integrating deconstruction into the local economy. Statewide two initiatives could boost deconstruction in the state: A ban on Construction and Demolition debris from state owned and private landfills; and a building-recycling ordinance that requires minimum recovery targets. State and industry sponsored LEED workshops could complement the regulatory and policy initiatives by the state. Bearded Brothers Solutions Deconstrution, Recycling, Salvage Gainesville, Florida WORKING TOGETHER TO POSITIVLY INFLUENCE CHANGE Mike Myers and Jake Tramonte have been close friends and recycling partners for thirty years. Three years ago they formed Bearded Brothers deconstruction in Gainesville, Florida. They work closely with architects, developers, builders and homeowners helping to divert salvaged building materials from the landfill. In the last three years they have deconstructed 35 buildings in the Gainesville area, including commercial, residential, school and church buildings. By carefully taking buildings apart, piece by piece, they are exploring other avenues to reuse the various materials which can be turned into pieces of value added art, and other environmentally sound practices.
When Bearded Brothers deconstructs a building the cost is comparable to demolition with the added bonus of supplying quality materials to Green and LEED build projects along with home owner renovations. Some of these materials, such as heart pine and tidewater cypress are not available to builders and crafts people except as deconstructed materials. Records are kept as to the origin of most of the materials that they reclaim. Bearded Brothers offers job training to college students as well as local young people. They currently employ six to ten workers with a starting pay scale of $9 to $10 per hour which increases as workers gain more skills and experience. Bearded Brothers Deconstruction is currently a for profit company from which a new non-profit deconstruction educational organization is being formed to positively influence public awareness about the benefits of deconstruction to governments, businesses and households. A primary mission of the non-profit is to provide leadership in organizing and making materials available to foster value added art projects throughout the Gainesville area communities. The Bearded Brothers are at the forefront of local activity focused on the reduction of landfill use and fostering alternative uses for recovered building materials. They are working with the county government at the planning stage of an eco-industrial park that will accommodate large and small environmentally sound enterprises working with each other to reduce the area's overall carbon footprint. By helping to develop a process to measure and track the carbon implication of the materials that they retrieve through deconstruction, Bearded Brothers is involved in establishing new measurement techniques for calculating carbon credits that will be useful to Green and LEED builders. As long time believers in the value of recycling, Mike and Jake are moving forward to develop new methods to help solve the problems presented by growth and the need to build. They are supportive of local citizens and businesses in their efforts to recycle materials generated from home building projects thereby diverting these useable materials from the landfill.
Deconstruction Institute On-Line Resources Sarasota, Florida The Deconstruction Institute web site provides a wide range of articles, case studies, a business directory, and other materials to inspire and support deconstruction and materials reuse. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection provided funding for the creation of the website for Charlotte County, Florida as a training vehicle to anyone interested in learning how they can reduce the impact of building material solid waste in landfills. The Deconstruction Institute project partners are:
The Deconstruction Institute is currently managed by Jesse White, Principal of Resource Management Group, Inc., and founder of Sarasota Architectural Salvage. Although much of the information is oriented to the state of Florida, there are many resource materials of value to individuals and companies from throughout the country. For instance, the on-line Deconstruction Calculator was developed as a means to project the energy, pollution, and savings when materials recovered through deconstruction are reused, thus saving embodied energy, labor and transportation when compared to virgin material extraction, processing, transportation, and distribution. Free membership to the Deconstruction Institute is available to anyone with Internet access. Contact Information: deconstructioninstitute.com Second Chance, Inc. Baltimore, Maryland This non-profit enterprise, founded by Mark Foster in 2003, provides deconstruction, architectural salvage, and job training services, with a cooperative network ranging from Columbus, OH, to Newark, NJ, to Philadelphia, PA, and Baltimore, MD. In the four years since start-up, the company has grown to over 50 employees working out of the Baltimore operation. The company has 3 deconstruction crews and a retail store crew that oversees more than 120,000 square feet of warehouse space in downtown Baltimore. Second Chance pioneered the effort in establishing contracts with the City of Baltimore that call for workforce development funds for training and first right of refusal to deconstruct government buildings scheduled for takedown. Second Chance conducts a 16-week training program on a zero tolerance basis. Once the training is completed satisfactorily, the worker is guaranteed a permanent job with the company. Second Chance's goal is to create skilled workers making a living wage with benefits for themselves and their families. Trainees are recruited through city workforce development programs. So far, all trainees have completed the rigorous training program. The reason, asserts Mark Foster, is that "We are not just offering a good job, but employment in a growing company and sector of the economy and a pathway to a career."
Contact Information: Green Institute Minneapolis, Minnesota The Green Institute was established in 1993 after a 12 year battle against a garbage transfer station that had been proposed for the neighborhood of Phillips. The proposed site for the transfer station instead became the home of a ground-breaking new green building owned and operated by The Green Institute. The 64,000 square foot building was a pilot project for the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED system which was then being developed as a standard tool for developing and accrediting green buildings. As such, every element of the project was carefully planned to minimize its environmental impact and maximize overall efficiency, from the selection of the site and building materials, through the design of its mechanical systems to reduce long-term operating costs. The Center provides a healthy and energy efficient work environment for the staff of the Green Institute, as well as some of the most outstanding forward thinking organizations in the area. Rents from the Phillips Eco-Enterprise Center contribute about 20% of The Green Institute's total revenue. Re-used materials were, of course, used extensively in the construction of the project. Since 1993, the Institute has evolved into a $3.4 million dollar non-profit organization that promotes community revitalization through its four sustainable enterprises. These include the Phillips Community Energy Cooperative, GreenSpace Partners, and the Green Buildings Program. Its primary business, however, is its DeConstruction Services operation and The ReUse Center retail stores. DeConstruction Services contracts out its crews to dismantle buildings by hand, saving the materials to be used again instead of sending them to the landfill. The building owner receives a tax receipt for the retail value of the salvaged materials. The goods are then sold directly to the public through two retail locations of The ReUse Center, generating around $2 million annually. Together, the ReUse Center and DeConstruction Services reclaim over 4,000 tons of material per year for resale. Most materials come from dismantling residential buildings, but commercial projects are also considered. Although DeConstruction Services does not offer a separate consultation service, the organization does provide assessments to larger clients prior to starting their dismantling work that gives the client an estimate of the value they can expect from the materials. Crew members are paid $12 an hour and also receive health and dental benefits, as well as a 401K plan, a health club membership, and life and disability insurance. Training is accomplished through on the job mentoring with the goal of providing an "up and out" opportunity to disadvantaged people by giving them basic trade skills and a good reference for future advancement. The organization has not had much difficulty in finding workers to replace those who are able to move on into the skilled trades. Contact Information: greeninstitute.org Dynasty Deconstruction Cleveland, Ohio This for-profit company, founded by Keith Ludwig, trains workers recruited from within the neighborhood where projects are located and contributes valuable building materials to community schools, theaters, and affordable housing projects. Dynasty Deconstruction is only 2.5 years old and has 23 full time workers, earning from $10-18 per hour, based on skill level and length of service. The company has taken down 75 buildings as well as soft stripping buildings for Kent State University. They also provide deconstruction services for the Buckeye Development Corporation in Cleveland, Lakewood, and the Ohio School District. Dynasty Deconstruction is currently in negotiations with housing authorities, school districts, and private developers in the Cleveland metropolitan area. In addition to recruiting workers directly, Dynasty Deconstruction provides training opportunities for Hard Hatted Women, a women's construction training organization. The company is also cooperating with a non-profit group interested in expanding its used building materials resale operation as well as a Cleveland community development corporation which is planning a business based on manufacturing new products from wood recovered through deconstruction.
Contact Information: ReBuilding Center Portland, Oregon In operation since 1999, The ReBuilding Center is the nation's largest nonprofit reuse center for construction and remodeling materials. The agency receives 300 customers every day, and stocks a vast selection of salvaged materials, including sinks, tubs, tile, lumber, doors, windows and trim. The ReBuilding Center's deconstruction services provide the materials the store resells. It also donates some used building materials to community projects. In addition to operating the reuse warehouse, The Rebuilding Center creates ReFind Furniture, a furniture line made out of reclaimed materials from deconstructed Portland-area homes. In the past year, the ReBuilding Center has tackled a total of 122 deconstruction jobs. This number includes partial or skim deconstruction tasks for remodeling purposes, as well as 23 whole houses, 18 garages, three barns, three apartment buildings, four municipality jobs, four university projects, one climbing wall, and one World War II Patrol Torpedo Boat. Salvaged parts from this boat will be used to renovate another PT Boat that is on exhibit at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
The ReBuilding Center currently has 55 staff members. All employees are paid a living wage and have full medical, dental, and vision coverage. The ReBuilding Center's Deconstruction Services department employs 11 people, and may expand further in summer 2009.
Contact Information: Re-Use Consulting Bellingham, Washington Re-Use Consulting, Inc. is the latest phase of long-time deconstruction specialist and activist David Bennink's career. Trained in environmental sciences, he taught himself how to deconstruct buildings efficiently and without the need for subsidies. After assisting with the start up of The Restore in Bellingham 14 years ago, for the last three years Bennink has been providing expert assistance to non-profit and for-profit deconstruction operations. Through his role as a member of the board of directors of the Building Materials Reuse Association, he maintains his advocacy and activism for deconstruction. Bennink works in all sections of the US and already has clients in 21 states. "My company's mission is to reform the industry so that deconstruction can become a mainstream choice for building removal and to replace demolition as the sole choice for building owners and developers." Bennink knows that his experience and ideas can take deconstruction to its logical conclusion. He has taken down over 380 different buildings. There are not too many problems in deconstruction that he has not encountered. But just in case something new does turn up, he has a team of specialists to call in for help. Another goal of the company is to assemble a state of the art action team, to respond to deconstruction circumstances throughout the US. Bennink's ideas have enabled his clients to reduce deconstruction projects from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 days, a remarkable jump in productivity and profits. By combining hand labor and machines in a 'hybrid' deconstruction model, Bennink can help demolition and deconstruction companies reach their full potential and profitability. This innovation has opened the way for new approaches such as panelization, popularization of the de-nailing gun produced by Reconnex, Inc., and the use of forklifts on site to save arduous labor. Bennick finds that the initial start-up costs can still be challenging to overcome, but believes that by helping companies grow to be more efficient and effective, he will justify this investment. Building disassembly, as Bennink used to refer to deconstruction, has grown tremendously in the past few years. Bennink thinks there is a lot more learning to go and is motivated to share his ideas, find new ways of doing things, and identify new equipment and techniques to increase productivity. Bennink's success is mostly word of mouth. He can not recall any formal advertising that he has done. He produces his own training materials for his clients. His company has the capacity to train workers and managers as well as oversee long-term projects. Bennick consults in a variety of areas including: setting up reusable building material retail operations, deconstruction program setup/training, individual project assessment and project management, plant and landscape material salvage programs, non-profit related issues, and assistance in selling materials through RE-USE Consulting's Reuse Network. Contact Information: reuseconsulting.com ReCycle North Burlington, Vermont ReCycle North's mission, says development director Lisa Winkler, is threefold: first, to protect the environment by reducing the amount of reusable and repairable items dumped in landfills; second, to give individuals in transition valuable job skills, technical training and more opportunity; and, finally, to alleviate the effects of poverty by making vital household goods and building materials available to the poor. The Vermont nonprofit, founded by Ron Krupp in 1991 and led for the past 14 years by executive director Tom Longstreth, reclaims building materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. The salvaged materials are either transformed into new products through ReCycle North's Waste-Not-Products program, or sold at the agency's retail location, the Building Materials Center at 339 Pine Street in Burlington, which opened in 2001. Both programs utilize volunteers, trainees, and members of YouthBuild, a program serving 16-24 year old high-school dropouts who need a comprehensive development and job training opportunity. Participants work on both construction and deconstruction projects, gaining job skills while also learning to respect and protect the environment. 
A silo in central Vermont in the midst of being deconstructed by ReCycle North In 2008, ReCycle North's Deconstruction service completed 41 salvage projects, ranging from "soft strips,"--small-scale deconstruction jobs such as dismantling kitchen cabinets or taking apart bathrooms--to a large two-story barn, a motel, and a ranch. For the owners of a waterfront home on Lake Champlain, ReCycle North offered an environmentally friendly alternative to demolition, which would have involved sending 20 large dumpsters full of construction waste to the landfill. Since its inception in 1991, ReCycle North has grown from a small shop that sold reused furniture and appliances to a multifaceted organization with 50 staff and three locations. Last year the company salvaged 56,900 linear feet of lumber, 90 cabinets, and 7,000 square feet of metal roofing. It also recycled 33 tons of metal and sent 300 cubic yards of clean, burnable wood to McNeil Generation Station (a city-owned, wood-fueled electricity generator).
Contact Information: DeConstruction Services, LLC Fairfax, Virginia DeConstruction Services began operations in August 2004. The company currently employs 15 staff members, up from 12 in 2008. Rather than reselling deconstruction materials through a store, DeConstruction Services earns its income strictly from the fees it charges to deconstruct buildings. The company then arranges for nonprofit charitable organizations to receive building products. DeConstruction Services helps each building's owner through the donation process, arranging pickup and dropoff of materials, ensuring the owner receives the correct tax documentation, and putting together a final portfolio containing a detailed inventory of deconstructed and donated products. Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, Inc., and Community Forklift of Prince George's County are two of the organizations to whom DeConstruction Services donates material. In the past year, DeConstruction Services has worked on 49 projects. These include two- to three-day "skims," or selective salvage of a structure's materials; major renovations; and full house disassembly. Until 2008, the company focused entirely on residential deconstruction, taking down houses, barns, garages and guest houses. It tackled its first commercial project last year.
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