Deconstruction is the selective dismantling of buildings with the intention to reuse and recycle to keep waste at a minimum. It is an alternative to demolition, and because of the vast numbers of vacant and abandoned property in the city of Detroit, the choice between the two methods is significant here.
Demolition is cheaper, quicker and the status quo. Deconstruction is more environmentally sustainable but labor intensive. So, the question has no easy answer. Architecture firm
Hamilton Anderson Associates is tackling the issue in their monthly speaker series.
"Deconstruction Detroit" will take place at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the
Recycle Here! warehouse at 1331 Holden. At the event, five local professionals will present their past and current deconstruction efforts, followed by an informal panel discussion. Speakers include Jill Ferrari from Wayne County, Will Wittig from the University of Detroit Mercy's School of Architecture, Derek Roberts from Design Evolution Workshop, Tom Friesen of Architectural Salvage Warehouse and Matt Naimi of Recycle Here.
Architect Brian Hurttienne, who has been involved in organizing the event, hopes to see a strategy come out of the evening. "We get everyone together to review where we're at with the players on this panel, the pluses and minuses (of deconstruction) and the mechanics available," he says. "We can talk about what avenues haven't been thought of to make deconstruction a viable industry, how to create jobs, be sustainable, (how to) work from public to private enterprises."
Hurttienne believes the intersection of the public, private, not-for-profit and academic realms is the key to dismantling's ultimate transition into the mainstream and potentially, to becoming a thriving Detroit industry. "Could Detroit become a recycling magnet? We have the cheap warehouse space, we have huge waste companies, all the railroad lines, all the freeways lead here ... that's how I look at it, in terms of a regional sense," he says. "We could be solving some of Detroit's issues in terms of perceptions and jobs."
Source: Brian Hurttienne, Hamilton Anderson
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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