ReFind Furniture Wins Best Award

ReFind Furniture is honored to be the recipient of the City of Portland’s BEST Award for Sustainable Products or Services. The BEST Awards seek to acknowledge the efforts of local businesses in the areas of economic growth and environmental benefit. According to their website, “The mission of the BEST Awards is to inspire the business community by showcasing innovation and commitment to sustainability.” To read more about the BEST Awards and our participation, please click here.

ReFind Furniture designs and handcrafts environmentally sustainable, natural, contemporary furnishings for residential and commercial spaces. A primary goal of ReFind is to preserve the environment and benefit communities. In this regard, all ReFind materials are sourced locally, most of it coming from homes and other buildings that have been manually deconstructed by our DeConstruction Services department. This historic old-growth lumber finds new life in a distinctive line of furniture and custom designs.

In 2008, ReFind products created from salvaged material preserved the equivalent of more than 60 old-growth Douglas fir trees and avoided the production of 415 pounds of green house that would have been generated to harvest and mill new lumber — the equivalent of removing 2.5 cars from the road.

Most importantly, ReFind Furniture seeks to inspire the creative reuse of salvaged materials. ReFind also hosts classes and workshops that range from practical knowledge and skill-building to artistic expression. To learn more about classes visit the Education page of our website.

There are lots of ways to get involved with the creative reuse of salvaged materials. You can participate in the ReUse Ideas Project year-round by submitting a photo of your creative reuse project to receive a 10% discount at the warehouse. Or, you can participate in the upcoming ReFind Furniture ReUse Exhibition by showcasing your project during our 11th birthday celebration on June 11. Click here for more info.

Questions about ReFind Furniture or custom work? Visit our website, email us or call 503-445-1756.

Alternative Spring Break

Remember Spring Break? Traditionally known as a time for: 1) lazy days, 2) preparation for a new season, 3) friends, 4) family, 5) California/Florida beaches, 6) all around lounge time.

Well…There is now an alternative! The Rebuilding Center hosted three different alternative break groups during the month of April. The University of Illinois, Idaho State and The University of Montana all generously sent us wonderful groups of volunteers. They lent helping hands to the gradual reorganization of The ReBuilding Center’s lumber yard. They helped build racks, organize tile and supported many other on going projects.

We are so grateful for their selfless act to spend their breaks working (and learning) with us. Thank you so much for your time and efforts. Your work has truly made a difference.

The ReBuilding Center Tweets!

For quite some time now people have been asking if we can post inventory updates more regularly on our website. Due to the volume of materials we move daily (about 8 tons!) and the frequency of changing inventory (every 15 minutes!) we have been unable to make it a reality. Until now—thanks to a site called Twitter.

Twitter is the latest buzz in social media technologies. Twitter is a social network similar to myspace, facebook and many blogging platforms (such as blogger) that allows individuals to post quick updates (called “tweets”) for friends and followers to read.

We are experimenting with Twitter as a means to let you know what’s going on in the warehouse. We will post a sampling of new inventory as it comes through the doors as well as reduced prices on materials. As of now, these “tweets” will not include photographs, but you can always get your graphic fill from “Today’s Finds”—our twice monthly newsletter.

To receive The ReBuilding Center’s “tweets” you will first have to join the Twitter community by visiting their website and creating an account. After that you can search for “The ReBuilding Center” with Twitter’s “Find People” tool. Then, all you have to do is click “Follow” to receive a happy stream of updates fresh from the warehouse.

We appreciate your feedback on how best we can utilize this new tool and thank you for your patience as we try the course. Questions? Email or call us at 503-542-5051!

Senator Merkeley Visits Deconstruction Site

March ushered in the partnership of Specialized Housing and DeConstruction Services.

About Specialized Housing Incorporated

Like Our United Villages, Specialized Housing Incorporated (SHI) is a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation. SHI was formed in 1981 in collaboration with United Cerebral Palsy, The Epilepsy Association of Oregon and The Association for Retarded Citizens for the specific purpose of improving housing options for people with disabilities. SHI has developed over 100 projects throughout Oregon and has 28 years of experience in housing design, property management, new construction and substantial rehabilitation. Like The ReBuilding Center, Specialized Housing, Inc. has received many awards for outstanding service to the community. 

The Project

SHI hired DeConstruction Services to dismantle five houses totaling 5,500 square feet—all of which the deconstruction crews have accomplished in record time. The freshly deconstructed site will be the future home for Eastgate Station, which will be high density housing with 61 units for special needs individuals and families. Eastgate Station will serve low and very low income individuals and families, people with disabilities, and hard to serve homeless families with disabilities. Services for homeless residents will be coordinated by Multnomah County and will be provided by Impact Northwest under Multnomah County’s Bridges to Housing (B2H) Initiative and 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness.

 Senator Merkeley with DeConstruction Crew & Shane Endicott on SHI Site

Support for "Green Jobs"

The DeConstruction Services and Specialized Housing, Inc. project created the perfect storm to model the highest potential meaning of “Green Jobs.” Job creation, material reuse, community development, and partnering organizations presented a great reason to contact Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley. The SHI project also happens to be in Senator Merkley’s own neighborhood. While making time in his very busy schedule on Friday, Senator Merkley learned on site how DeConstruction Services and The ReBuilding Center are viable, working examples of Green Jobs. The brief visit included a tour of the remaining house, and a short press interview. The Senator and his aids were very pleased to learn first hand the opportunities reuse develops in the community. The Senator’s closing remarks expressed his excitement about the possibilities this project represented, as well as his support of these kinds of jobs.

 Senator Merkeley and Shane Endicott

 Senator Merkeley with Executive Director of SHI

Deconstruction of the SHI site saved: 

• 27,500 cubic feet of reusable materials out of the landfill
• 6,600 gallons of clean water, or daily water intake of 13,200 people
• 91 mature trees left in the forest, or 28 acres of newly planted pine
• 1,815 square feet of affordable housing from the reused building materials
• 2,495 additional hours of work at a living wage, supporting our local economy
• 7.9 cars removed from the road in the reduction in greenhouse gases

Inspiration through Volunteers

A new and exciting batch of magnets have come into the warehouse…made by volunteers! They were craftily created by the students of Douglas High School’s PACE class. The students and their teacher came and scavenged for good magnet making materials. They took them back to the classroom and eureka! Magnets galore! The proceeds fund an education scholarship that helps those with limited resources attend ReBuilding Center classes and workshops.

Thank you so much Douglas High School for your innovative volunteering and beautiful magnet artwork. We are so grateful for your contribution!

In other volunteer news, Portland Youth Builders contributed this beautiful and inspirational addition to our warehouse:

“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.”

Thank you PYB! You are truly an embodiment of this message.

About DeConstruction Services

deconstruction : n. 1. the selective disassembly of a building structure in reverse order of assembly, usually by hand to maximize the re-harvest of materials for reuse. 2. an essential component of sustainble, green building.

Since 1999, DeConstruction Services of The ReBuilding Center has helped hundreds of homeowners, contractors and others with remodeling and building removal projects of all scopes and sizes.

2008 was a productive year for DeConstruction Services. The phone rang off the hook, yielding 569 intakes. These eventually became 122 projects, supplying The ReBuilding Center with materials from:

• 26 whole houses and apartments
• 18 detached garages
• 16 partial structures
• 3 really BIG barns
• 29 kitchens
• 19 skims
• 8 bathrooms (plus 74 hotel baths to date)
• 6 chimneys
• Just for fun DeConstruction Services also took apart:
• 1 tiny shed
• 1 funky foundation
• 1 huge bookshelf
• 1 personal rock climbing wall
• 1 beautiful Brazilian cherry floor
• 1 WWII PT Boat
• 2 basements

During 2008, DeConstruction Services also engaged in projects to help promote the use of deconstruction over traditional demolition. We:

• Hosted an intern to create a proposal to train professional Interior Designers in the use deconstruction methods.
• Worked with PSU students to create the DeConstruction Density Mapping Project to promote more deconstruction over demolition!
• Provided resources and advise for 8 organizations interested in deconstruction.

We are very pleased to see such positive support of DeConstruction Services and the process of deconstruction in general. We look forward to another fantastic year and want to extend our sincere gratitude to all those in the community who continue to support and promote our efforts. To learn more about DeConstruction Services click here.

Jewelry Making Workshop

In this three day workshop instructor Christina Aucone of Modica Design led students in an exploration of the fundamental techniques to creatively integrate recycled materials into jewelry design. They sawed, drilled, filled, wrapped wire and created some truly beautiful works of art from found materials. See before and after pictures below. 

Margit

Adira

Gloria

Lauren

Mckenna

Solla

Susan

Change is Good!

Recent new addition to the warehouse is bringing smiles to the faces of visitors and salvage specialists alike—but one face in particular is beaming with joy. Ella Rose is absolutely radiant behind our brand new cash registers! We are so very grateful and proud of this new addition to the OUV family and we invite you to come meet the new registers yourself! They’re quite sophisticated and oh-so stylish.

We want to extend our sincere gratitude to Jim Gerow and all the folks at Positive Technologies, Inc. who patiently guided us through the process and were an absolute joy to work with. Thank you!

The Gift of Volunteers

Our United Villages has been very fortunate this month in receiving record numbers of volunteers! They come from many groups and some from across the state, but they all have one thing in common: being wonderful examples of energy, inspiration and generosity!

The volunteer program of Our United Villages is thriving thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who make this operation possible. We had a record high turn out to our bi-monthly after hours event this month. We had nearly thirty attendees and we needed every one! Thank you so much to these folks from the community who believe in our work. If you are interested in attending one of these events, you can sign up on the Hands-On Portland website by clicking here.

In addition, we would like to recognize the monumental presence of the Portland Youth Builders. Over 60 PYB students and staff joined The ReBuilding Center today for several hours to help with a wide variety of projects. They sorted tile, built racking for the lumber yard, organized the miscellaneous section and mounted pictures of ReUse genius for the Community Resource Area—among many other tasks of course. We are truly grateful for their energy, spirit and willingness to lend a hand! What a great group!

Finally, we want to extend a huge thank you to the students of George Fox University from Newberg, Oregon. They generously chose to have an alternative winter break and spent it volunteering at The Rebuilding Center. The students worked tirelessly for four days organizing and salvaging materials in the warehouse. They left inspired to continue re-using and educating others in their own community about re-use.

Volunteering is a wonderful gift. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts. If you are interested in volunteering either as an individual or a group please contact the Volunteer Coordinator of Our United Villages at volunteer@ourunitedvillages.org or at 503.467.4985.

ReUse Ideas: #1

From the exotic plants of artist Hilary Pfeifer to the use of reclaimed windows and doors at the Sungarden Montessori school in Portland, creative reuse projects abound and are as varied as the materials they use. Here’s a sampling of some creative reuse projects from community members.

Hilary Pfeifer’s traveling exhibit “Natural Selection” offers an intriguing exploration of intimacy and relationships, while mimicking the ingenuity of nature in its reclamation of used materials. She created an installation of bonsai-like plants made mostly from reclaimed and scrap materials. The greenhouse in which they live was partially made from sliding glass doors donated by The ReBuilding Center.

The Sungarden Montessori school has also demonstrated the spirit of reuse by enhancing their space with the addition of a few colorful doors and windows.

And finally, thank you to Suzi Cloutier for sharing this message with us:

“10 years ago, I rebuilt my 250 square foot cabin with less than $500 worth of materials from the ReBuilding Center. It was a Godsend to a broke gal trying to make life work in a tiny house in the trees (which I lovingly did for 6 years). I love it and its mission as much today as I did back then, and am collecting parts for my next building project which will be a FULLY recycled materials Cobb Home.”

Way to go Suzi! Best of luck on your project.

Reuse Ideas Project

“Our United Villages inspires people to value and discover existing resources to strengthen the social and environmental vitality of communities.”

That’s the mission here at OUV and we strive to fulfill it in many different ways. One such manifestation is a project called ReUse Ideas.

The ReUse Ideas Project was born from a desire to encourage people to engage in “creative reuse.” Creative reuse means finding new purposes for salvaged materials, such as turning a door into a table or using a toilet as a planter. Creative reuse is a vital component of the ethos at The ReBuilding Center, where materials often rely on the ingenuity of design to bring them back to life.

What makes the ReUse Ideas Project so special is that it is driven by the visitors and friends of The ReBuilding Center. We invite anyone and everyone to submit photos and descriptions of projects that incorporate salvaged materials. Whether you are re-tiling a bathroom, building a chicken-coop or re-designing your entire house, sharing these projects inspires creative reuse in others and propels the movement towards a more beautiful and sustainable world!

In addition, participants receive a 10% off coupon for their next ReBuilding Center purchase as well as the good feeling that comes with inspiring creative genius in others.

The ReUse Ideas Project is still very much in the works. We encourage you to give us feedback on how we can make this project more useful and effective. In the meantime, you can look forward to monthly features of ReUse Ideas on this blog in addition to a permanent ReUse Ideas gallery in the Community Resource Area of the warehouse. The gallery features extraordinary examples of reuse projects from TRC visitors and friends, tips and tricks from ReFind Furniture and a plethora of great ideas to inspire your next reuse adventure!

Interested in submitting? Here’s how it works:

1. Take a photo of your project and write a brief description of the process, materials used, how much you saved, etc. We love before and after shots!

2. Fill out the ReUse Ideas Form. This form is available at the cash register (in the center of The ReBuilding Center) or in the Community Resource Area. If you would like to print it yourself or submit the form electronically you can download it in pdf form by clicking here.

3. Submit your photo(s) and description with the ReUse Ideas Form. You can submit your ReUse Idea in person at the register, by mail (your coupon will be mailed to the return address) or by email. Send electronic submissions to communications@ourunitedvillages.org. If you submit electronically, please specify whether you would like the coupon mailed or would like to pick it up at the register.

4. Shop! Use your 10% off discount to purchase materials in the warehouse and create another ReUse masterpiece!

We look forward to seeing the ReUse Ideas Project flourish and we hope that you will find inspiration and motivation in the creative energy of others. As always, we appreciate your feedback and welcome questions! You can direct comments to communications@ourunitedvillages.org.

Root Award for Communitecture

The ReBuilding Center and Communitecture were honored at the first annual Root Awards, presented by Portland Spaces Magazine. The Root Awards is a design competition celebrating innovation, creativity and craftsmanship in the Portland Area.

Communitecture won first place for its design of The ReBuilding Center in the Retail Category. In the words of Portland Spaces editor, Randy Gragg:
“…The ReBuilding Center has become the heart of Portland’s reuse ethos and what [Mark] Lakeman calls a “cathedral of community experience.”

Thank you to Communitecture for translating the reuse ethos into a building that we can all be proud of. And thanks to all of you: the community of supporters who encourage and enable us to continue this work.

Congratulations everyone!

Visit us on Flickr to see more photos!

Small Space, Big Impact

Jeffrey Gantert and Brad Bloom of Portland Garden Cottages went above and beyond the call of reuse with these amazing cottages located in Upper Albina. The ReBuilding Center is proud to be a resource for local builders and designers looking for innovative solutions to reuse challenges.

Gantert and Bloom built these two 364sq.ft. cottages almost entirely of salvaged materials.

You can find out more about Gantert and Bloom on their website, http://portlandgardencottages.com/Portland-Garden-Cottages.

Better yet, follow their lead and discover new ways to reuse the materials you love. The Rebuilding Center sees many creative reuse projects all the time and we are happy to share these ideas with you. Just stop by the warehouse and check out our ReUse Idea Board. Not only will you be making a positive impact on local economy and environment, you will also receive a 10% off coupon for your next purchase when you bring or send us a picture of your ReUse project.

See you soon!

Big Barns

The Deconstruction crews are finishing up one big job! Take a look at the pictures below to see how we hand dismantle buildings—from roof to floor boards!
Check it out!