posted December 21, 2007
As part of its ongoing efforts to promote environmentally smart, profitable green building in Chattanooga, this week Collier Construction is demolishing two North Chattanooga houses using advanced recycling and repurposing practices.
The two houses, at 408 and 410 Harper St. (just off of Cherokee Boulevard) are being demolished to create space for six new green, sustainable courtyard homes.
Materials which are being recycled to use in the new construction include aluminum window frames, aluminum siding, all copper from existing plumbing, all existing wiring, and cardboard and paper from the site.
An industrial sized grinder will also be in place on the site, to grind materials into mulch and topsoil rather than send them to landfill.
All existing framing, along with plaster and sheet rock, will be ground and allowed to biodegrade during construction for use as topsoil or mulch. All existing block and brick, along with the shingles, will be ground into fill for the foundation.
"This process is around 20% more expensive than traditional bull dozing and landfilling," said Ethan Collier of Collier Construction. "But we, as a company, feel a responsibility to keep construction waste to a minimum, believing that the extra cost is worth the benefit to our shared environment. Not only will less landfill waste be generated through the project, there will be fewer trips by dump trucks to landfill, as well as fewer trips by delivery trucks for new construction."
The new construction project for the site is a joint effort of Collier Construction, Metier Company, developer of the new homes, Architect Taylor Bowers who has designed the new courtyard homes, and Shrop Construction, the firm providing grinding equipment.
"This effort is not only about this one project," said Mr. Collier, "it's about building in better ways in Chattanooga. The more that this new approach to demolition becomes standard for new construction, the more that heavy recycling opportunities in Chattanooga will develop, helping to lower the cost of green building for everyone.
"At Collier Construction, our goal is to build homes and commercial properties of the highest quality, environmental sensitivity and durability." http://www.collierbuild.com/
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