Reincarnation of Original Home

Houston’s recycling industry lags behind many cities’ recent progress on this front. In San Francisco, for example, 80% of waste generated is diverted from landfills. Its ambitious Construction and Demolition Ordinance prohibits debris from reaching a landfill. Nationally, the average 35% recycling rate puts Houston’s performance—about 20%—to shame. It is easy to imagine landfills, largely resulting from demolished buildings, inching higher in city’s periphery.

The mission of The (Almost) All-American Home was to focus on responsible deconstruction, green design and sustainable construction, starting with deconstruction of the existing 1950’s ranch that occupied the site. 99% of the entire house was diverted from landfills and reusable building materials were donated to the City of Houston ReUse Warehouse, Houston Habitat ReStore and Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Harris County. This project serves a model for making deconstruction feasible in Houston and across the country.

Key accomplishments:

University of Houston Recycling in Houston website, 2013
Participated in USGBC Gulf Coast Chapter’s Construction and Demolition Recycling in Houston Conference, 2013
Spoke at AIA Houston CEU on deconstruction value, 2011
Presented to City of West University Building Department with Carolyn Stephens of Habitat for Humanity, 2008
The Ton Club (donation weight), Reuse Warehouse, current