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Recycled and reclaimed materials at Eden House

A key component of green building philosophy advocates the recycling and reclaimation of construction materials whenever possible. The net effect is that some rather humble stuff can enjoy rebirth and new purpose. There's something about taking material destined for the landfill and reusing it in a home that can create a kind of transcendental beauty in the process.

So it is with Eden House. Recycled/reclaimed items in this home include:

  • Broken-up sidewalk reclaimed for open grid pavers
  • Countertops with recycled aggregate
  • Outdoor railings from pallet wood
  • Green roof growth media from recycled mulch product
  • Rain barrels made from reclaimed food containers
  • Basement concrete from 45% recycled materials
  • Finger-jointed wood stud framing

Absolute best practices are when you reuse material from the site in a creative new way like architect David Butler did with the old sidewalks bordering the property.

The confluence of pavers, pallet wood railings, and rain barrel pictured below illustrate in beautiful application the ideal of reduce, reuse, and recycle as applied to building science.

Posted on Friday, September 4, 2009 at 09:17PM by Registered CommenterBurke Sisco in , | CommentsPost a Comment

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