Build It Green

Green building can seem an oxymoron – any construction takes material and embodied energy. But we need homes, for protection and much more. So the greenest choice may be material that’s “in stock” – the adaptive re-use of an old building and salvaged items. Nationally, the Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) forwards the growth of this ideal. And on the local scene, Build It Green (BIG) turns around tons of building items every day. A re-used cabinetry set, for instance, may not look perfect – color’s off, a dent, it’s last years (or last decades) model – but in the end, it works – and by a truly green standard, it doesn’t get more perfect.