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Horry County is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country, which has led to unprecedented construction and demolition. As older structures are rapidly demolished and cleared for new construction, the local area’s inherently valuable used building materials, structural histories, and expert trade skills are unnecessarily lost to the landfill. In contrast, the economic model of deconstruction provides a ready solution to this unnecessary waste and loss. Deconstruction is the careful disassembly of structures, an alternative to traditional demolition. In this process, building materials can be salvaged and reused, histories researched and archived, and traditional skills revived for future generations. Alan Todd will discuss the process of establishing a deconstruction industry in our area and the environmental and economic benefits it brings.
About the Speaker:
Alan Todd is Executive Director of Conway Architectural Salvage and Heritage Project, a nonprofit organization that focuses on building material reuse and trades preservation. A professor at Coastal Carolina University and trained archaeologist, Alan's life's work culminates in saving old-growth lumber from landfills, archiving the histories of family homes, and reviving traditional building crafts through education and community development.