And The Award Goes To...

Have you ever been in a room surrounded by dynamic people who are intensely interested in the same topic?  The air is different, charged with an energy of a shared passion. That's what DECON13 was like last week.  The event, put on by the great folks at the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) was a shot in the arm for those who attended, renewing our excitement about deconstruction that will last us throughout the year.  

A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the BMRA awards. The awards, with super fancy, tool-inspired names honored the best and brightest in our field, and I was happy to see many of my friends walk away with accolades that applauded their commitment to building materials reuse. 

I was thrilled to win the Brass Grille Award, an award for excellence in reuse or salvage in green building design. Below is a list of the other winners and links to their respective organizations.  Check out innovative ways they are approaching sustainable building.  

 At DECON13 with Elise Zelechowski and Bob Falk  

“Emerald Reciprocating Saw” – Shaun LaBarre, ReSource

“Emerald Screwgun,” – Ted Siebert, Second Use

Both for excellence and/or innovation in the fields of deconstruction and/or building material reuse (BMR) practice.

“Chestnut Mantle” – Elise Zelechowski, ReBuilding Exchange

“Chestnut Shelf” – Dave Bennink, ReUseConsulting

both for excellence in BMR industry promotion or service

“Walnut Gavel” – Deb Stone, CookCounty Department of Environmental Control

“Walnut Mallet” – Kinley Deller, KingCounty, Washington

both for the promotion of progressive governance with respect to BMR, whether legislative, regulatory, or other

           

“Lapis Medallion”- BMRA Training Committee, with special recognition to Bob Falk, Forest Products Laboratory

“Lapis Pin” - Travis Blake, R3Deconstruction

both for exceptional educational, academic or training activities related to deconstruction and/or BMR.

“Brass Grille” (Continental) - Nathan Benjamin, PlanetReuse / PlanetReuse Marketplace

For excellence in employing BMR or salvage in green building or green design

“Golden Prybar” – Hammer Like aGirl.com

Special recognition for best poster content and display (at Sunday evening opening reception at Second Use)

“Silver Prybar” – Dirk Wassink, SecondUse

Special recognition for exceptional assistance to BMRA or to the Decon ’13 conference committees

“Silver Saw” – Paul Hughes, DeConstructionservices, LLC

Special legacy award for an exceptional practitioner who has passed away

           

           

            

Internships Available

Want to learn from social entrepreneurs, build your portfolio and have some fun this summer? Apply for one of our four summer internships in:

• Video & Multimedia Production – Training, Educational and Promotional Video

• Social Media & Internet Marketing  

• Business / Customer Experience Analyst

• Reclaimed Building Materials Brokering & Consulting

VIEW ROLE DESCRIPTIONS

Internships begin June 3rd - August 5th (negotiable). Benefits include:

• Mileage reimbursement
• Flexible schedule to accommodate part-time job
• Office in a downtown KC Crossroads neighborhood entrepreneurship incubator
• Work in a dynamic start-up environment
• Regular hours for on-site collaboration/instruction
• Possible travel
• Professional growth
• Building your resume/portfolio
• Gaining relevant career/industry experience and confidence   

Candidates should have relevant educational background and/or experience.  

To apply please submit to Willow Lundgren at willow@planetreuse.com: 

• A professional resume
• Cover letter (include one of your most entertaining special skills e.g.  crab-walking, plate-spinning, best celebrity impression) - skill must be unrelated to this role
• Relevant sample(s) of your work (bonus points awarded -- for real)

The House (and Brewery and School and Office Building) of the Future

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently announced its annual list of the greenest buildings, sending the eco-design enthusiasts among us into prolonged daydreams of reclaimed timber and geothermal heating.

The Federal Center Building in Seattle received a perfect 100 from Energy Star

                   The Federal Center Building in Seattle received a perfect 100 from Energy Star

The winners, a varied crop ranging from a civil engineer building to an apartment complex for seniors, embody the AIA's commitment to rethinking the way we interact with our built environments, public and private, commercial and residential. Easy on the eyes, as well as the environment, these buildings serve as a great example of what can happen when we design with the future in mind.  

Check out this great article over at wired.com for more on the competition and to see the winners up close. Warning: images may cause excessive drooling.