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How many types of trees on earth? 60,000 is a good working number, according to Colin Trudge, an author on the subject. Of this total, an NYC hardwood dealer carries about twenty-five varieties in the form of solid lumber. The reclaimed wood species that are harvested locally is about half this number (roughly twelve), and half of these, or a handful, make up the bulk of antique and vintage woods salvaged in the city. The list includes Longleaf Pine, Red Spruce, Eastern Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine and Shortleaf Pine.  Of these, two predominate; Red Spruce (Picea rubens) and Longleaf Pine (Picea palustris) – the former comes from multi-family residential buildings (tenements etc.) and the latter from commercial structures (warehouses, etc). In looking at the antique and vintage lumber that flows into the city’s c & d waste stream, just one, Red Spruce, remains at the top of the waste heap in its potential environmental value. It represents the largest volume of reclaimed lumber and is currently the most difficult to re-use. The issue of recycling this and other “Large dimensional lumber”, is now being taken up by New York City government and an Urban Green Council task force. see “NYC Lumber Law”.

The following links to a brief profile of twelve woods that are reclaimed from dismantled structures in NYC.

Twelve Woods

Photos from istockphoto.com unless otherwise indicated.

Info at www.wanteddesignnyc.com

The Redwood tree is an icon of nature. But American soil has seen many other remarkable structures take root and rise; a little known one being the rammed earth building.  Thomas Jefferson was a supporter of the architectural technique, dating back to 5000 BC in China. In1806, Rural Economy, by S.W. Johnson was the first book published in the U.S. on the subject. Interest eroded after WWII, when the cost of building materials dropped, and it was not considered suitable for modern construction. But rammed earth is making a modest comeback.

The NYC Dept. of Buildings is unlikely to ok plans for a rammed earth skyscraper any time soon, but Rammed Earth buildings are found on every continent, with thirty percent of the planet using earth in construction. The walls, which can include earth, chalk, lime and gravel, are easy to build, durable (with upkeep and protection from water) and have great thermal mass, making them extremely sustainable.  

Brooklyn furniture designer, Aaron Mason Hauser, has studied and worked on these structures in Tennessee and Pondicherry (India). But with scare soil and space in the city, he’s turned to smaller scaled furniture and interior spaces; still drawn to the woods sustainability, and the “materials beauty and a desire to create spaces that make people feel good”. In the center piece above, Hauser creates a table to divide this small urban kitchen and living space, that functions for both a kitchen and office. The striking furniture work is made from old growth Redwood, reclaimed from dismantled mid-century pickle barrels.(photos above: Life Magazine, Aaron Hauser).

One thing a wine-bar can share with the traditional corner bar (beside wine), is the ever-present use of wood, and more often these days it’s reclaimed. That’s the choice at Terroir’s most recent Manhattan location. Terroir, NYC’s new ‘Elitist Wine Bar For Everyone’ was recently uncorked in the Murray Hill neighborhood. With the help of Richard Lewis Architect, the space installed a bold grid of 2” x 12” antique Heart Pine as a back drop to the bar space, along with using the woods for additional counter applications. The antique wood was milled from  salvaged timbers (approx. 12×12) of a 19th c. Connecticut elementary school. The clean lines of the re-sawn lumber still retained the character marks of nail holes, surface checks and the aged woods rich grain, which appears to be just the right vintage for the intimate wine bar environment.