Ted Reiff's blog

Deconstruction received significant coverage in the September 26, 2008 edition of The New York Times Magazine. If you didn't read, "This Old Recyclable House," which details at considerable length a pilot deconstruction project in Cleveland, Ohio (where, incidentally, I was born and raised).

Wow! Folks are actually starting to wise up. Two months ago the little town of Los Altos Hills, California, put in place a truly sensible deconstruction permitting process. When a deconstruction (not demolition) contract is attached to the permit application, permit fees are waived and the new building plans go to the front of the approval line. This break-through ordinance was followed a couple of weeks ago by a similar measure in Seattle.

In the June e-letter I announced "Better Than New," a contest involving before-and-after photographs showing remodeling projects (yours, I hope!) accomplished with used building materials. This month, I'm expanding the contest to include other interesting projects besides those that involve construction and remodeling. To learn why, read on...