These days, everyone wants to be green. It has become something of a cliché a word batted around to the point where the leather cover has torn off, and the ball has started to unwind until it's just a pile of string. What does "green" mean?

For us, using architectural salvage is about as green as it gets. Instead of purchasing new materials, reclaimed stock of quality and historical character is recycled. The fact that we harvest materials locally minimizes the use of fuel for transportation. The use of architectural salvage also reduces the amount of waste and debris going to landfills.

When it comes to new construction, we recognize that removing an existing structure with the aim of replacing it with a green product in fact makes no sense. The carbon footprint of the demolition, not to mention the energy output to build an entirely new structure, is far larger than simply using what is on hand, and using it creatively. This outlook fits into the American pioneer spirit of creative re-use – a spirit we strive to re-introduce, one building site at a time.

Thus, whenever possible, building materials may be gleaned from the site itself; for example, if an opening is widened to make room for a pocket door, salvaged trim from the old doorway part could be re-cut to fit the new rough opening.

In addition to using reclaimed materials, we also emphasize the importance of new green technology. Solar panels, radiant floors, tankless water heaters, soy and cellulose insulation, soy-based polyurethanes, non-VOC paints, paperboard, marmoleum – these are all products we have used, and continue to use. The combination of integrating existing resources with new technology – of creating a space where old green meets new – is a powerful one, that creates LEED-worthy projects that avoid the sterility of standard sustainable construction.

For an example of what this might mean when it comes to an actual project, please take a moment to look at the Jenkintown Home, and the list we compiled of the sustainable materials used over the course of the remodel.

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