Yesterday I attended a talk at The Canadian Centre for Architecture given by members of HouseEurope!, an organization of architects pushing for laws which will encourage the renovation/restoration/adaptation of buildings using pre-used materials where possible as opposed to demolition and rebuilding from scratch.
They make some bold claims about the benefits of renovation:
↗︎ Renovation saves homes by keeping prices stable.
↗︎ Renovation saves jobs by boosting local markets.
↗︎ Renovation saves energy by preserving what is there.
↗︎ Renovation saves history by valuing the existing.
The organization pushes for tax and zoning reform to encourage renovation over demolition. Something we could use over here as well.
My favourite blog post every year is friend of Elsewhat Sean Michaels’ list of best songs of the year. I always find a ton of new music I didn’t know about, and usually have it as a playlist I listen to for months.