When buildings are demolished IN CHICAGo,

what happens to the materials?

 

In November 2017, materials experts and design innovators across Chicago convened for three panel discussions on building materials reuse and the future of our city. 

 

OWNERSHIP

Nov 2, 2017

OWNERSHIP traced the lifecycle of buildings from private ownership, to abandonment, public acquisition, and demolition or deconstruction. Panelists shared their knowledge of the regional materials marketplace, exposing economic realities that govern the salvage industry. The discussion considered the role of building materials as community assets.

SCALE

Nov 9, 2017

SCALE brought together the city’s salvage entrepreneurs, at boutique to industrial scales. Panelists shared successes and challenges in the salvage business and offered ideas for increased adoption of reused materials into new construction. Attendees learned first-hand about existing reuse operations and new models for future development.

VISION

Nov 16, 2017

 VISION inspired discussion on the local and regional future of building materials reuse in Chicago. Panelists analyzed: labor and workforce development; adaptive reuse and community resilience; industry accreditation; and policy advancement. Panelists envisioned a robust reuse marketplace in Chicago and discussed what it will take to get there. 

 

Learn from experts. Innovate solutions. Scale an industry. 

About

 

In 2012,  the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed the Demolition Debris Diversion (3D) ordinance, establishing a program for the recycling and reuse of construction and demolition waste. The 3D ordinance requires that a total of 70% of a project's demolition debris by weight be diverted for recycling and 5% for reuse. The ordinance has resulted in the recovery of more than 540,000 tons of building materials and another 100,000 tons of material have been reused or salvaged.

 As a result of the 3D ordinance, an influx of reused building materials have flooded the Chicagoland area's existing but underdeveloped reuse marketplace, with limited consumer demand or retail outlet. Many of these salvaged materials are incredibly valuable due to their material qualities, craftsmanship, and patina. 

In 2015, Cook County approached Archeworks to explore new thinking, ideas, and applications for salvaged materials that would raise awareness of reuse and expand the county’s building materials marketplace. Through the multiyear initiative WA$TED MARKET, Archeworks has explored systemic challenges to scaling reuse in south suburban Cook County and imagined creative solutions for the public sphere.

WA$TED MARKET: Convenings explored capacity-building in the reuse marketplace through a series of moderated conversations. Three panelist-style events on the topics of OWNERSHIP, SCALE, and VISION engaged experts and influencers in discussion about how to create a more robust building materials reuse marketplace in Chicago and beyond.

 

WA$TED MARKET is generously supported by the the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust. 

 
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Public Interest Design

 

WA$TED MARKET: Convenings took a participatory approach to market development by connecting downstream industry experts with upstream innovators and influencers to generate actionable solutions for change. The panel discussion audio was recorded and is available on the WA$TED MARKET website.

By convening and connecting diverse and dispersed audiences, the events aim to create cross-sector synergies and catalyze localized innovation from the bottom up. The waste industry is networked, distributed, and complex - and calls for similar solutions. Convenings aims to spark fresh conversation, thoughts, and dialogue around building materials reuse in an accessible and engaging format that is recorded for future reference.

 
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