Deconstruction Proof of Concept
Slowly-fading human infrastructure are key elements of natural systems.
Our abandoned ecosystem of homes is no different, functionally, than Earth’s standing forests, buried oil, ore & metal resources, its stocks of gravel and aggregate reserves. These buildings, are literally Home Depot, simultaneously forest & lumberyard, oil well & refinery, stone quarry & showroom. In this ecosystem are unique historical and cultural elements, timbers and stone hand-hewn by our ancestors, stained & leaded glass windows and fireplace mantels found nowhere else in the world.
Deconstruction preserves the future by salvaging the past.
Returning this decomposing ecosystem of deteriorated homes into a lasting force to create living wage jobs, provide building science & sustainable construction training while, simultaneously, diverting millions of pounds of valuable building resources and unique architectural elements from landfills, saving millions of dollars in landfill fees, augmenting local tax bases, mitigating climate change, protecting ecosystems and preserving Life’s free services, enhancing community resilience…is both common sense and holistically profitable.
The Deconstruction White Paper, above, written by NGBC, LLC, illustrates proof of concept. The link below covers the first full deconstruction in Syracuse, of a different property on the Near West Side.
www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/workers_began_deconstructing_a.html