Front page headlines for reclaimed materials providing the necessary resources for education and economic growth in Savannah! A hearty congratulations to Meagan Hodge and Willie Mobley of Design for Ability!

Job coach for Savannah Chatham County Public Schools, Willie Mobley, and SCAD Design for Sustainability alumna and Emergent Structures project manager, Meagan Hodge have been working together for 2 years in developing the non-profit organization Design for Ability, which by now, you must all know will have a large greenhouse made from reclaimed materials in the next few months to do their agricultural training in!

Who would have thought four years ago that we’d see such headlines! With a mission of increasing the value and accessibility of building material waste streams through facilitation, collaboration, education, and advocacy, Emergent Structures couldn’t be happier to play a role in these amazing developments.

In March 2010, we introduced the idea of reclaimed materials becoming a catalyst for economic growth and educational training in the low country, but we could never have known what shape it would take at that time. But take shape it has!

HERE”S AN EXCERPT FROM AN EMERGENT SRUCTURES POST IN MARCH 2010
(the full story is in the link above):
“Below is a diagram that represents our concept of nurturing Mr. Power’s vision, and parlaying his success into a vibrant subculture here in Savannah. The idea is to not only reclaim material from Savannah Gardens, but to warehouse it so that people like Mr. Powers can access/purchase it (at cost of reclamation) when necessary, hire and train at-risk or under-employed individuals as a small-scale production team, and then sell product to our healthy (even in these times of economic turmoil) tourist and hospitality sector.

People come from all around the world to experience ‘authentic’ Savannah, so why is it they stay in places and eat in places that have furniture from everywhere in the world but Savannah? Why is it that Savannah doesn’t have a marketable craft industry? Why is it that visitors aren’t intent on purchasing authentic Savannah craft in the same way they are with, say, sweetgrass baskets in other regional markets? Isn’t it likely, if not probable, that such a distinctive, local market of goods would thrive in a city so coveted for its rich heritage and sense of place? We think so.”

We’ve still got a ways to go, and the dream of bringing Johnny Powers’ chairs into small-scale production has yet to happen, but the dream is alive and well thanks to the hard work and persistence of folks like Meagan and Willie! Now it’s time to nurture the demand side!