Is Deconstruction a Dirty Word?
How can taking a building apart possibly relate to heritage conservation? Join us in the Upside Down for a chat with architect and alum Guadalupe Flores about his thesis, Deconstruction: A Tool for Sustainable Conservation. When a building can’t be saved, reusing the materials makes perfect sense. The concept of deconstruction certainly isn’t new. But how do we make the case for it in a disposable society—and make sure it’s used only as a last resort?
748 Hartford Ave. prior to deconstruction. Photo courtesy Home Front Build.
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J. Guadalupe Flores (Guad) graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Architecture and, most recently, a Master of Heritage Conservation. Guad is a licensed architect with 28 years of experience and is sole-proprietor with an office in architecture-rich Pasadena. The focus of the practice is education and healthcare and looks to pursue conservation projects. Guad takes great pride in his community. He served on the board of Pasadena’s first landmark district and various City of Pasadena commissions. Guad was on the Planning Commission for over six years and held several officer positions, including Chair. Dedicated to his profession, he served on the board of the Pasadena and Foothill Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and was elected president in 2007. |
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Trudi Sandmeier is a Professor of Practice in Heritage Conservation at the USC School of Architecture and co-host of the podcast. |
Want to know more about some of the ideas mentioned in this episode? Check out:
[Thesis] Deconstruction: A Tool for Sustainable Conservation, J. Guadalupe Flores, August 2022
Deconstruction/reuse policies: See this chart in Guad’s thesis; here are a few examples:
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- San Antonio (2022) — ordinance and more
- Boise, ID (2021) — ordinance
- Pittsburgh, PA (2021) — executive order
- Palo Alto, CA (2020) — ordinance
- Hennepin County, MN (2019) — building reuse grants
- Milwaukee, WI (2018) — ordinance
- Portland, OR (2016) — ordinance
YouTube Deconstruction Playlist, City of San Antonio
Preservation Poll – Deconstruction: An effective tool for preservation or just another way to lose historic buildings? (PlaceEconomics, March 2021)
Treasure in the Walls: Reclaiming Value Through Material Reuse in San Antonio (PlaceEconomics, Feb. 2021)
Preservation Priority: Sustainability and Climate Action (Preservation Priorities Task Force, 2021) — Issue Brief specifically mentions deconstruction
Issues in Preservation Policy: Preservation, Sustainability, and Equity (Erica Avrami, ed., Columbia University Press, 2021)
Assessing the Energy Conservation Benefits of Historic Preservation: Methods and Examples (Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 1979)
Position Paper on Deconstruction, National Trust for Historic Preservation (June 2009)
Home Front Build, the firm that deconstructed 748 Hartford Avenue for the LA2050 Grants Challenge
Taller Dos Flores, Guad’s architecture firm
Bungalow Heaven, Pasadena
