PROJECT OVERVIEW 

A tool to demystify, inspire, and support social equity and environmental sustainability through material reuse.

PROJECT INFORMATION

TIMELINE: 2010
LOCATION: N/A
Funder: US Green Building Council
Partners:
    California Integrated Waste Management Board
    US EPA Region 9
    San Francisco Department of the Environment
    StopWaste.Org
Role: Principal Investigator, Project Director, Co-author, and Editor

Additional Project Collateral

Project Website

STORY

“Building green” is often linked with higher levels of energy efficiency or improved air quality. Even when considered, the sustainable materials market tends to focus on sustainably harvested materials or materials with recycled content.

Yet, repurposing materials directly from the waste stream is the ultimate form of resource conservation. Reuse can be integral to a sustainable vision of how to tread lightly on the earth, be economically pragmatic, and nurture a community.

The “Design for Reuse Primer” is a US Green Building Council funded electronic publication featuring 15 case studies that demonstrate new models of “building green.” And a related online project library serves as ongoing resource of how to build better with less. The Primer and the companion site seek to demystify and inspire reuse by discussing the challenges and demonstrating the benefits.

A project of Public Architecture

IMAGE GALLERY