i've been reading though Jeremy Till's book entitled architecture depends. it has been a nice read so far. at one point in the book he states that "all architecture is but waste in transit" meaning that despite an architects best arguments for immortality their buildings will eventually succumb to decay. while this isn't by any means the main thought and argument for his book, it definitely caught my attention. being from the UK, he references the fact that 50% of of waste in UK landfills is construction waste and that only 37% of construction waste is being recycled. till says that, "while architects may dream of their building coming into the world as fully fledged durable items with enduring value, the reality is that they always enter the social realm as transient objects, subject right from the beginning to decline in value and an inexorable slide into the status of rubbish." i don't think architects want to think about this and its easy not to, for most buildings someone creates are not likely to see decay in their designers lifetime.

but i've been thinking a lot about this sort of thing especially in regards to sustainable building practices. builders and architects are being credited more and more for incorporating reclaimed materials into newer buildings. I think this is a great practice, but what i wonder is if there are ways to make reclaiming materials easier. could walls be assembled differently so hammers and saws aren't needed to rip them apart? could we use different materials that could be recycled. i had the opportunity to visit a job site that was in the demolition phase. when the project manager was asked what happens with the used metal studs and sheetrock he somewhat shamefully said they go to the dump. there isn't a way to recycle sheetrock.

so can buildings be constructed to last but at the same time, if cultural trends insist, be disassembled and parts reused? are there ways to create building materials that can be recycled without losing their integrity? a lot of energy and talk are focused on the a buildings performance once it is created. but what about before they building goes up? i guess what i am wondering is that in creating sustainable buildings are we also encouraging more sustainable and healthy was of creating materials?

juxtaposition...

cozied up in the oversized chair i'm sipping on some darjeeling tea while thumbing through the most recent issue of dwell magazine. but prefab eye-candy and articles on the pros and cons of twenty or so designer chairs aren't enough to divert my attention from the video streaming from the computer. mish had pulled up CNN. we watch houses, planes and cars spin in whirlpools like the aftermath of a child's bath time. waves rushing over places waves where never suppose to go. i can't even begin to fathom what the people in Japan are dealing with right now. events like this cause me to look at things through a different lense. it makes me question what exactly i'm striving for. what i want to be about. how i really want to spend my short amount of time on this crazy, shaking rock.