Overview:
- The Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit is a non-profit dedicated to deconstructing buildings to save wood, metals, light fixtures and structural beams.
- Their mission is to divert as much building material from landfills as possible, reducing the need for new resources and cutting the carbon footprint.
- ASWD has trained over 400 individuals in deconstruction, and the salvaged wood has inspired creativity in local enterprises like Wallace Detroit Guitars and Detroit Audio Labs.
A table crafted from a bowling lane. Beer taps shaped out of reclaimed wood – each stamped with the location where the wood came from. Christmas ornaments constructed out of salvaged wood bleachers from Detroit Public Schools. Art pieces fashioned from old light fixtures.
These are some of the upcycled treasures you might find if you visit the Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit (ASWD) on Detroit’s Eastside.
Founded in 2003, ASWD is a non-profit that deconstructs buildings to preserve wood, metals, light fixtures, and structural beams. It aims to change people’s minds about recovering and preserving wood and other materials from homes and buildings slated to be torn down.
The goal is to keep as many building materials out of the landfill as possible through deconstruction, according to Christopher Rutherford, ASWD executive director.
Deconstruction is the process of carefully breaking down a building to preserve the elements that can be used elsewhere. This reduces the need for new materials by upcycling the materials that would have otherwise gone to a landfill.
“When I first went into one of the Detroit homes that was slated for demolition, I saw the lumber and just how beautiful it was because a lot of it came from the original old-growth forests of Michigan, and it’s just lumber that you can’t get today,” Rutherford said.
Architectural salvage gives second chances
Ten years ago ASWD created a workforce development program that has trained more than 400 people to deconstruct houses. After the first year, 86% of participants remain employed in the construction trades, according to Rutherford.
He said he believes in giving building materials a second chance, and people too.
He said he would like to see deconstruction and salvage as the standard rather than the alternative, noting that deconstruction preserves materials and reduces the need for new materials that cause a heavier carbon footprint, driving climate change. It also keeps rubble out of landfills.
And salvaged wood can spark creativity. In downtown Detroit, ASWD worked with the Detroit Foundation Hotel as the hotel’s main millwork contractor. Among the salvaged elements is the tin ceiling in the hotel’s restaurant, the Apparatus Room. Each guest room also features a headboard made of reclaimed wood.
Another example is Wallace Detroit Guitars, a custom guitar maker that incorporates wood salvaged by ASWD into guitar-making. The guitars have medallions highlighting their origin.
Mark Wallace, founder of Wallace Detroit Guitars, said that the tone of the instruments is significantly improved by the quality of the wood that comes from reclaimed sources.
“I was amazed by the quality of wood salvaged from these historic homes,” said Wallace. “Seeing the woods that were available was really part of the reason I was able to launch the company.”
Of note is also Detroit Audio Labs, a speaker manufacturer committed to sustainability. Crafted in Detroit, the speakers are made from wood salvaged from historic Detroit buildings and sourced from ASWD.
Typically, Detroit homes are already gutted before ASWD gets involved, but what is left is usually resilient lumber. ASWD has floor-to-ceiling racks of lumber available for creative projects.
“You could have a table made out of salvaged deconstructed lumber from the local region that is at least on its second life, if not more,” Rutherford said. “It has a tremendous history behind it, helps contribute to the local economy, and has a really great story in downstream economic benefits.”
