These days, everyone wants to be green. It has become something of a cliche, 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?

To us, using architectural salvage is about as green as it gets. Instead of purchasing new materials, salvaged materials of quality and historical character are 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.

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 construction. Solar panels, radiant floors, tankless water heaters, soy and cellulose insullation, soy-based polyurethanes, non-VOC paints, paperboard, marmoleum – these are all products we have used, and continue to use. The combination of using existing material with new material – of creating a space where old green meets new – is a powerful one, that creates LEED-worthy projects which still please the eye.