How Many Dumpsters Does it Take....?

Pastor Tommy and I were having a meeting one day to discuss some “stuff” over a cup of coffee. Turns out, he actually read my previous Blog, “The Clawfoot Tub” and had a few valuable points to add to the discussion of Sustainable Design and reduction of construction waste.  He shared that while he was visiting a relative; he came across a magazine called Mother Earth News and became interested in one of the articles titled “Cut Down on Construction Waste”. A few days later he took the time to scan the article and then emailed it to me.   

Having been involved with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) since 2000, and then very recently with Earth Craft Certified Homes, it was one of those stories that was encouraging to me. I'm glad to see that some people do get it!

I’ll make this one a short blog because the link to the full story is below. Without giving away the entire story, the article illustrates how a family drastically reduced the amount of construction waste by reusing 80% of the old lumber and scraps when they replaced an existing garage with a 1,500 square foot addition. They also saved a big chunk of change. So, the moral of the story is; plan your projects carefully, recycle & reuse as much of your existing materials as possible, be practical…..save money.

Full article......click below.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/green-homes/construction-waste-zm0z10zrog.aspx


Shane A. Persaud
Building Design Partnership, LLC

Grindhouse Killer Burgers

Alex Brounstein is the owner and brains behind the Atlanta burger joint Grindhouse Killer Burgers… one of my favorite places to grab a burger I might add. The joint makes its home at the Auburn Curb Market. And, I don’t just love the food, but the design elements. Did I mention this is a reuse project?

The Space

Alex and his architecture team from Plum Avocado Design (Kim Fong + Anitra Mecadon) renovated the space with reclaimed materials. They incorporated the old brick pit barbecue into the existing kitchen, and the front of the bar and exterior wall are made of reclaimed tongue & groove boards from the nearby Pencil Factory. In November of 2010, the great work done by the design team resulted in the space winning an Atlanta Downtown Design Excellence Award from Central Atlanta Progress.

Burger + a Movie

As a fun aside, I should also mention that they play classic and cult movies on the white subway tile wall. If you haven’t checked it out, you really should. Any day now, the second location of GKB will be opening at Piedmont Road + Wimbledon Road. I can’t wait to see what they do with this space!

Future home of Grindhouse Killer Burgers