Looking for Reuse Materials for Your Project?

PlanetReuse's network allows those that want to incorporate reuse materials on their project to rely on a central set of tools.  Simply fill out our Material Request form to tell us what type of materials you're looking for and we'll connect you to options locally or nationally, based off your timeline and project goals.  LEED and LBC projects will benefit from our extensive database of materials and partners to meet your projects certification standards.

Donations Fuel the Reuse Economy

In our last newsletter we featured our FREE national reclaimed material donation coordination forms.  Material donations are a foundational component of the reuse economy and through our network of non-profit and for profit reuse centers, we make it easy on all parties.  Regardless of the size of your project, commercial or residential, material donations are easy to request and painless to coordinate thanks to our experienced partners, like Habitat for Humanity International.

Material donations can save you money on dumpster and landfill fees, while offering an extended lifespan and re-commerce opportunities for the materials that would have otherwise just gone to waste.

Do you have materials that could be donated or just want to learn more?  Click here to see how easy it really is.

Designed for Good: Using What You've Got

The way we create our homes and buildings has changed. The way we interact with our manmade environment has changed; LEED certified, passive and zero-energy are just a few of the buzzwords that have ricocheted across the architectural nomenclature in recent years, each with their own merits and advantages.

In their strive for a more symbiotic relationship with nature, forward-thinking architects have embraced a philosophy that firmly encourages us to use what we have, to design with existing materials in mind. Creating homes and businesses around materials that we already have on hand is an incredibly responsible - both environmentally and economically - style of architecture.

A stunning example of this school of thought is actually a school! The Eco Hawk Research Facility, housed on the University of Kansas campus, is a beautiful of example of using what you've got. The Engineering Department, which uses the facility as a lab to create a better electric car, wanted their built environment to reflect their commitment to a lower impact on the natural one.

Designed by Studio 804, Professor Dan Rockhill (more on his work here) and a team of KU architect students, the designs took stock of existing building materials they might take advantage of before creating the plans for the building, upcycling as many items as possible. Which makes sense. Why wouldn't you reuse instead of spending the energy, resources and money involved in creating new ones? Especially when they result in a building as gorgeous as the pictures below show?

Want more information on this amazing project and the brilliant minds behind it? Check out this article here, and this one as well.

Changing the Landscape of Sustainability

This past weekend was the ASLA Conference, and Nathan Benjamin was lucky enough to address the largest gathering of Landscape Architects in the world.  It was a unique chance to take the   pulse, and to map out the future of the field.  Among the distinguished speakers were Chris DeVolder of 360 Architects, Tobiah Horton of Rutgers University, and Erin Kelly of Next Energy.
    

Nathan's presentation focused on the roadblocks and misperceptions regarding using reclaimed building materials in commercial and residential projects.  He discussed the cost effectiveness, both financial and environmental, of reusing everything from hardwood floors to bricks to stone. Today, 40 percent of landfill waste comes from building construction and demolition.  Construction and demolition waste contributes 100 Million tons to US landfill waste annually. This means that every year we trash and bury the equivalent of 273 Empire State Buildings.

Landfills are filling up fast

But there's hope.  Nathan presented an alternative to buying new, one in which building materials are recycled into sustainable, polished projects that are good for the bottom line and for the planet. Those building or renovating would think "used" before "new" and those demolishing would think "reuse center" before "trashcan."  The ASLA Conference was a great opportunity to connect as an industry, showcase best practices, and present a blueprint for a more sustainable future.  

Building a better future, together

Living Building Challenge: Defining the Future and Gaining Publicity

Developed over the past few years, the Living Building Challenge (LBC) rating system is a meticulous green and sustainable rating system that is raising the bar for sustainable design. Since its establishment in 2009, only six buildings have been recognized as “living” and have acquired the LBC certification. Of the six certified buildings, PlanetReuse has aided in sourcing and supplying reclaimed materials for two of the first three projects.

Different than any other green building certification, the LBC system takes a step farther than the typical design build ratings and goes beyond design and construction to include the livability and performance of the building. The LBC views building as a process where humans are completely integrated with their surroundings and the ecosystem.

The LBC system focuses on categories of site, water, energy, health, materials, equity, and beauty. It takes approximately 14-16 months to gain this certification. Those buildings that meet all of the LBC standards go beyond the traditional definition of “building” and become a living part of the ecosystem.

This rating system is being used in eight different countries currently and is expected to grow in popularity and eventually become a global standard of building. Thank you to Jason McLennan and Cascadia for providing the vision for the future of sustainability.



Here’s some great press by CNN bringing this vision more to the masses: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/21/world/living-building-challenge/index.html

Studio 804 Chooses Reuse - Storefront glass panels and more

Studio 804 is a team of graduate students working towards gaining their masters in architecture in the Architecture, Design, and Planning program from the University of Kansas. Studio 804 has been in existence for sixteen years and has consistently designed and produced sixteen projects during that time. Each year, in their final year in the program, Studio 804 project consists of spending the fall semester creating the design, identifying the needs and goals, estimating the cost, and locating the materials needed. The spring semester is dedicated to the construction of the structure.

Dan Rockhill, executive director of Studio 804 and professor of architecture at KU, oversees the project in its entirety and guides the students as they learn what it takes to take a design from conceptualization to completion.

This year’s project, “Galileo’s Pavilion,” was designed to enhance the sculptural piece “Galileo’s Garden” designed by Dale Eldred. It is a three room structure consisting of two class rooms and one collaborative space. The structure was designed using passive solar building principles and includes three green wall systems. A bulk amount of the materials used for the project was reclaimed materials. Reclaimed slate from school chalkboards was used for the exterior siding and the storefront glass used for the project was recycled from a canceled commercial project. Resourcing reclaimed materials for the project assisted in gaining additional LEED points, cut the cost of the project, and kept those materials from being otherwise being dumped into a landfill. PlanetReuse assisted in the outsourcing of the glass material for the building. The glass was salvaged from a Moshe Safdie commercial project that was started and cancelled in the Plaza Area of Kansas City, MO.

One of the standing goals of the project was education for the present and the future. The building was designed as a tool of interaction and education for “green” design and “green” building techniques. Said Dr. Jay Antle, the sustainability director for the project, “…everyday this building will be educating students about what building can be and should be.”

Galileo’s Pavilion is a response to Johnson County Community College’s goal for sustainability. Though it has not been achieved, it is set to gain a LEED Platinum rating. This will be Studio 804’s fifth LEED Platinum building and the 4th LEED Platinum building in Kansas (the others which are located in Greensburg).

Congratulations to Studio 804 on their accomplishment and completion of "Galileo's Pavilion."

BMRA announces Poster Session Program at DECON '11

Great program to help continue to grow and deveopment the materials reuse industry. 

The Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) is pleased to announce the  Poster Session Program at the DECON '11 Conference.

Architecture, construction management and environmental sustainability students are urged to submit original contributions related to the fields of deconstruction, building materials reuse, and construction and demolition debris (C&D) recycling that can be displayed in an educational poster format. 

Overview:  BMRA consistently seeks to advance research and education in the public interest.  The purpose of the DECON 2011 Poster Session Program is to provide a means of stimulating interest in deconstruction, building materials reuse, and construction and demolition debris (C&D) recycling research, as well as communicating other useful deconstruction information to the profession to include best practices, new program initiatives, etc. 

Please visit the conference website for how it works and complete details.  Please forward widely to any students or instructors with an interest in decon/reuse!

Removing the Roadblocks to Material Reuse - Cascadia Green Building Council's Trim Tab - Winter 2011

The Cascadia Green Building Council's Trim Tab is an amazing resource for provocative articles, interviews and news on the issues, designs, and people that are truly transforming the built environment.


PlanetReuse is proud to contribute to this great publication where we review successes as well as struggles when it come to material reuse in commercial and residential projects.

 
To review and download the complete issue and to sign up for updates, visit their website.

Rethink Recycling - PlanetReuse cited in DWELL

Bringing reuse and recycling more and more to the mainstream, the February 2011 Dwell magazine highlights amazing reuse and recycling efforts in projects all over the world.

It's a great issue that showcases reuse not always a rustic, weathered or worn-out looking option, but also provides a wonderful palette of material for many modern, elegant and contemporary looks for homes and commercial projects.

Definitely grab a copy or peruse the office copy for reused material inspiration!

PlanetReuse is happy to be cited in the issue in the "Your Turn..." section as a go-to source to connect buyers and sellers of reclaimed materials and recycled materials by hosting online material listings as well as want ads.

The BMRA (Building Materials Reuse Association) is also cited and is an amazing organization with an informative website for more information about materials reuse, upcoming events, and includes an extensive directory of reuse centers and deconstruction companies throughout the US.

For more resources and inspiration:
Dwell - February 2011 issue.

Summer Opportunities - July Flyer '10

Looking for options on your project where you can save money and divert materials from landfills?  There are some great reclaimed, excess new and FSC options from great sources throughout North America in our latest PlanetReuse flyer.  The latest summary contains some innovative materials and a lot of great deals.  Here are just a couple:

Granite Pavers/Brick made from excess/discarded granite scrap  - Perfect for commercial and residential installations, these brick cut from scrap granite countertop material are perfect for walkways, countertops, backsplashes, flooring, sidewalks, etc.  Sustainable and durable solutions with great color selection, thickness options, and variety of finishes

Excess New CFL Lightolier Fixtures - 50% less than the price of new.  Canceled project with single and dual-lamp fixtures still in original boxes available immediately.  There are 350 of each type - excellent opportunity to save money!



To check out the latest flyer, click here.

Don't see what you are looking for?  Just let us know what you are looking for and we'll find it for you.

Want to join our newsletter so you receive updates as they are sent out?  Register for our newsletter and flyers here.

PlanetReuse now offers deconstruction consultation services

With our Deconstruction Consultation Service, we help municipalities, building owners, demolition and general contractors to evaluate materials that can be reclaimed, reused and recycled for commercial and municipal projects. PlanetReuse can generate the necessary UL Certification, Structural Engineering Reviews, LEED Innovation Point Potential and other documentation required to resell building materials. We fully inventory all reusable materials, with documentation, photographs and other information in our searchable database, made available for architects and designers online.

Contact us at info @ planetreuse.com or join us at PlanetReuse.com to learn more about our online tools to help you locate, source and resell reclaimed commercial and residential building material.

PlanetReuse 2.5 goes live tonight at midnight!

We've taken your feedback and comments from other sustainably-minded designers and architects to introduced two new tools into the PlanetReuse online engine to help the end user find and source reclaimed and underutilized material for green building.

Our Material Brokering Services help architects and designers incorporate reused materials into their commercial and residential projects. With the relationships we have in place with our partners, PlanetReuse can help locate materials unavailable on the website to help complete your project. With the Request Materials form, you can place free requests on PlanetReuse to reduce the amount of legwork needed to find reused building material for LEED MR credits. We'll help connect you through our brokering services by sending samples to your doorstep. You can also View Material Requests other users have submitted online to help you grow your business and help divert construction material from landfill.

Although we're taking down our online Shop temporarily, we're introducing a tool to allow users to enter available materials they have and want to move through our material brokering services. Stay tuned for an update or simply visit http://www.planetreuse.com on November 12th to see the next evolution of PlanetReuse, connecting contractors, homeowners, architects, designers, architectural reclamation stores, and deconstruction professionals together for a bigger, better online sustainable tool.