Building Value And City Of Wyoming Take The Roof Off The Next Phase Of Green Building

An exclusive look at the area’s first full-house deconstruction as Building Value “unbuilds” a Wyoming house, diverting 6,400 cubic feet of material from the landfill
As a regional leader in recycling and environmental responsibility, the City of Wyoming is taking the next step in green building, and has contracted with Building Value to “unbuild” or deconstruct a vacant house. Earlier this year, Building Value deconstructed its first full structure, a barn in Indian Hill. The Wyoming property will be the first residential multi-story project for Building Value.
The deconstruction of the vacant house at 641 Oak Ave. will add green space to a main City thoroughfare. By deconstructing the house, more than 6,400 cubic feet of building materials will be salvaged and made available at the Building Value retail outlet, currently located at 2901 Gilbert Avenue.
“We are pleased to partner with the City of Wyoming to take our deconstruction expertise to the next level and ‘recycle’ a house. By removing it safely from roof to footer we can salvage as much as 80-90 percent of the material saving it from local landfills,” said Jerry Janszen, director Building Value. “In addition to salvaging material for reuse and recycling, we are able to provide valuable training to people with significant workplace disadvantages giving them experience that will help them land full-time employment.”
The deconstruction of the 1541 square foot house will employ more than 10 individuals, including staff, trainees and volunteers for more than 6 days. All trainees are trained in deconstruction and have received extensive safety training. This project is the second full-building deconstruction by Building Value. The first was a horse barn in Indian Hill which was removed in 4 days and provided valuable training opportunities for more than 10 individuals.
“The community input received during the discussion leading up to the adoption of the 2007 Master Plan provided strong support for expanding the City of Wyoming’s efforts related to environmental stewardship,” said Terrance Vanderman, City of Wyoming Community Development Director. “With the direction of City Council and the support of several Boards and Commissions, the administration continuously explores potential opportunities to reduce our community’s ‘ecological footprint.’ The deconstruction of 641 Oak Avenue is a good example of this work. After reviewing the relative merits of deconstructing the house, it was obvious that the overall benefits outweighed the marginal cost differential.”
Building Value has contracted with a national deconstruction expert, Dave Bennink, to safely maximize the salvageable material through use of a mechanized deconstruction technique that allows the work crew to remain safely on the ground during the dismantling process. A group of volunteers from Easter Seals Work Resource Center job training programs will also be available to help sort and remove nails from the lumber before it is taken to the Building Value retail location.
On Monday, July 27, interior items such as doors and cabinets were removed from the house and are available for purchase at the Building Value retail location at 2901 Gilbert Ave.
Learn more about Building Value and how to save money and the environment.