Salvaging What Can't be Saved: Deconstruction, Salvage & Sustainability
Deconstruction is not an alternative to preservation. Deconstruction is an alternative to demolition.
In thinking about how to build a more sustainable future, the preservation of our historic buildings needs to be prioritized. But when buildings can't be saved, there is still room for preservation to play a role. Deconstruction and architectural salvage allows heritage building materials to be saved and repurposed, diverting material from the landfill and creating a circular economy in the process. As much as we might want to save all the old buildings, it is inevitable that some will be lost. The question is how those buildings will come down.
In this webinar, we were joined by practitioners from around the country who are exploring how preservation and deconstruction can work hand-in-hand to create a more just and sustainable world. Mae Bowley, Executive Director of Re:Purpose Savannah, shared some of the basics of deconstruction and how her organization works to save heritage building materials and a building’s history through careful research and documentation. Natalie Henshaw, who directs the Campaign for Historic Trades at Preservation Maryland, talked about her efforts to incorporate deconstruction within their traditional trades apprenticeships. And Stephanie Philips, the Deconstruction & Circular Economy Program Manger at the City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, talked about the policy side of deconstruction — why it’s so important to build community buy-in and establish city ordinances that prioritize deconstruction over demolition.
We were joined by our colleagues at Historic Ithaca to present this panel. Their Preservation Services Coordinator Christine O’Malley introduced the topic and moderated the group discussion at the end. Historic Ithaca is one of the founding partners of the CR0WD (Circularity, Reuse & Zero Waste Development) working group. CR0WD founding partners came together in the summer of 2020, concerned about continued demolition in central New York and its harm to our environment, economies, and sense of place. Initially focused in the Finger Lakes region, CR0WD has expanded its partners and initiatives to become a leading voice in New York State for the benefits of deconstruction and reuse of building materials.
Demolition is bad for the environment, represents a major public health concern disproportionately impacting already-vulnerable populations, and effectively erases local histories. In working toward a more sustainable future, preservationists can use deconstruction to make sure our built environment is not wasted, even when individual buildings are lost.
Recommended reading:
According to a 2018 EPA report, 600 million tons of construction and demolition (C&D) debris were generated in the United States in 2018, which is more than twice the amount of generated municipal solid waste. Demolition represents more than 90 percent of total C&D debris generation, while construction represents less than 10 percent.
During her presentation, Mae referenced an article by Allison Iris Arlotta titled “Demolition in New York City ca.1900: Taking Down What Goes Up.”
From February 2022, Stephanie Phillips was quoted in this article published by Wired, “Why Cities Want Old Buildings Taken Down Gently.”
To learn more about the work of Cornell University’s Circular Construction Lab, check out this article from NPR affiliate WSKG: “Rather than demolish buildings, Cornell researchers propose ‘deconstruction’ in Ithaca”
You can find the City of San Antonio’s draft deconstruction ordinance right here.
Natalie Henshaw hosted a Trades Takeover for an episode of Preservation Maryland’s PreserveCast podcast with Mae Bowley in early 2022.
Are you doing deconstruction in or around New York State? We would love to hear from you.
Featured speakers:
Mae Bowley is the Executive Director of Re:Purpose Savannah, a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to saving and sharing historic buildings at the end of their life cycle. Re:Purpose Savannah works to replace short-sighted demolition practices with sustainable deconstruction, historic research and documentation of sites, and training for women in the male-dominated construction industry. Mae holds a certificate in Historic Preservation Trades from Savannah Technical College, an MA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and BAs in Classical Archaeology and Graphic Design from Florida State University.
Natalie Henshaw joined Preservation Maryland in 2021 and directs The Campaign for Historic Trades, overseeing apprenticeship registration, curriculum development, and partner relationships. Natalie earned her AAS from Savannah Technical College’s Historic Preservation and Restoration Program in 2013. During and after this program, she’s worked in hands-on preservation with various non-profits, construction companies, and federal agencies. From 2014 through 2019, Natalie worked on seasonal, cross-country projects with HistoriCorps. In 2016, she founded a preservation company in Savannah, Georgia, specializing in window restoration and historic masonry.
Natalie has also worked extensively in educational fields. She has taught after-school art classes, English in China, TEFL as an online tutor, United States and world history with Savannah Technical College (STC), and historic preservation with STC and Lamar Community College (LCC). She managed LCC’s Historic Building Trades Program. Natalie enjoys traveling and hiking, and typically follows lawful good alignment.
Stephanie Phillips, AICP, is a San Antonio-based senior public policy & planning professional working at the intersection of heritage conservation and sustainability. She leads the City of San Antonio's deconstruction program, which aims to maximize material salvage and reuse opportunities from older structures while advancing the City’s climate action, affordable housing, and workforce development goals - all through a heritage conservation lens. Stephanie holds a MS in Historic Preservation from the University of Texas at Austin and a BS in Interior Architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Christine O’Malley leads Historic Ithaca’s efforts in education, advocacy, and community engagement and consults with home and property owners, businesses, city and county government officials, and educators. She has worked on local designations of properties and National Register nominations. As part of the CR0WD (Circularity, Reuse, Zero Waste Development) working group, she participates in efforts to promote salvage and sustainability in our community and efforts to draft a local deconstruction ordinance.
The Future of Preservation webinar series is sponsored by the Peggy N. & Roger G. Gerry Charitable Trust.