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Here’s a little blog post on the progress of the site. Just to keep everyone in the loop of its reclamation! Click here for the link to my Blog!
New Urbanism…on the Old Star Laundry Site
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Thanks for Re:fest!!!!
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Sustain Savannah v.1.0
WOW! that’s really all that should be said…well maybe Amazing, REfreshing and REvitalizing!
Thanks to all that came, saw and experienced Re:fest. All structures were auctioned off and two dogs were adopted: hooray for reclaimed materials and reclaimed dogs!
And a really big thanks to all the food and beverage sponsors of the event. Please support them with dining at their restaurants, sipping their drinks and telling them how awesome they are too!
And we can’t forget the music…a big hug and hip shake goes out to every performer as well!
Let us know your thoughts and what you liked best about the event!!!!
old window sash = NEW GREENHOUSE
so here’s an idea. well really a couple.
1. the old term, one [wo]man’s trash is another [wo]man’s treasure, really should be included in the executive summary of Southern Pine’s business plan.
2. Here at Southern Pine we have a lot of things. And one of them is window sash. The summer months on site included yard work, moving wood, yard work, mosquito bites, moving sinks, yard work, staring at tubs that I should be moving…well you get the point. And amongst the clearing, I saw it. The perfect location for our “window sash” greenhouse.
So, if you were to have a greenhouse of your own, what all would it encompass? What would be your basic needs? What style, size and design would you want?
I would love our Southern Pine blog followers to help shape the NEEDS of this project. Remember, reclamation is at the heart of the design, so share your ideas of trash becoming treasure with me!
Here’s a couple of images to spark inspiration.
ReFEST 1.0
Putting On A New Face
Our current facility has a long history. First, it was the Star Laundry that opened in the 1920′s later to become the Rogers Laundry and finally closing down as a laundry facility by the 1970′s. Condemned and destined for the landfill, the Star Laundry building was purchased and restoration was begun in 1998. It now houses the offices and antique wood mill of the Southern Pine Company of Georgia.
In preparation for our next event on October 1st, ReFest 1.0 (more on this later) we thought the old place could use a little sprucing up. And what better place to start then our iconic awning. The transformation is like night and day…
The goal was to pay homage to the history of the place while making it communicate for Southern Pine. In starting the rehab a little unknown history was revealed. We only have so many photos of the build as it has existed through history and all of them black and white. A little sandpaper however revealed the brilliant yellow that once was used as accent. The story behind this seems to tie back to Savannah’s ship building industry active around the time of the Second World War. When the war was finally over and the industry disappeared, this ‘safety yellow’ used to paint ship components was in abundance. It was repurposed throughout the region, including as it turns out, by the Star Laundry. Just a little trivia to wet your appetite….
Here is how it all came together. Thanks soooo much to Jester, John, Ben and Charlie for truly excellent work!
Visit our Flickr page to see more…
Little House Around the Corner
Whether you are fascinated with the end result or where it came from, repurposed materials always come with a story. Southern Pine takes pride in recycling, reclaiming, and repurposing. Whether it is left-to-waste150 year old hand hewn dock piers, dredged river recovery logs, or deconstructed homes destine for the wrecking ball, a new surprise is always waiting around the corner. Some times literally…
There have been three vacant homes around the corner from our facility for the last several years. Two were affected by fire a while back but left standing. As I arrived at work one day this week, I was greeted by the sound of breaking glass and crashing lumber.
As far as we know these properties were ordered down by the city in what remains of Savannah’s annual 100 Worst Properties Program, ( a lot more can be said about this issue, but here is an article from 2007) in an attempt to combat urban blight. The wheels started spinning a few days ago and the city came knocking with a bulldoozer. Three houses were ordered demolished and one came down on day 1.
However, a silver lining soon emerged. The city agreed to give us one day to save the little house next door if we could remove it in 24 hrs.
No small feat but Ramsey and the boys jumped to action. Day 2, our tiny cottage is on a trailer ready for its new home.
A lot has been written in the last several years about The Tiny House. Building them, buying them, the advantages of downsizing to live in them. Once it gets written up in the New Yorker, New York Times, The Economist, and The Financial Times, does that make it a movement? Imagine the advantages of in living in a tiny house that is 100% reclaimed…
Stay tuned to see what we have planned for this little beaute…
If You Build It…
designBuildposterSM(1)I know I am WAY late to the party in posting this but, YOU yes YOU can still register to compete in the dog house/cat structure design & build competition benefiting the Human Society of Savannah and Emergent Structures. The idea of course is to include as many reclaimed materials to make a nice comfy abode for your reclaimed pet.
What does this have to do with Southern Pine might you ask? Well beyond our interest in supporting great non-profit organizations like Emergent Structures and the Human Society, Southern Pine will be donating materials for those bold individuals executing their designs. We still have plenty of materials to offer up for anyone who registers by the drop off date of SEPT 24th. Come on by and see what we got!
And perhaps most exciting of all SOUTHERN PINE will be HOSTING ReFEST on OCTOBER 1st where these houses and structures. More on that to come….
The 411 and the fine print:
Design & Build Competition
Dog House & Cat Structures
To benefit Humane Society of Greater Savannah
& the Emergent Structures Project
Auction and Adoption Event OCTOBER 1st!
Prize Categories:
Dog Houses: Best Use of Reclaimed Materials
Most Creative
Cat Structures: Best Use of Reclaimed Materials
Most Creative
Under 14 years old: Best Use of Reclaimed Materials
Most Creative
Grand Prize: Best Overall
For more info contact Charisse: charisse.bennett@gmail.com
Limitations/Restrictions:
The final entry must be easily carried by two adults and fit into a car for final transportation. No real fur or materials derived from animals permitted. No pressure treated lumber. Entries not deemed safe for pets will be disqualified. The majority of construction should be of reclaimed materials. All structures can be constructed for the purpose of indoor or outdoor use. Please submit one completed Entry Submission Form for each dog house or cat structure to be entered. Entrants can be individuals, groups, or businesses.
All entries are property of the Humane Society of Greater Savannah and will be sold at a silent and live auction event on October 1st. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Humane Society of Greater Savannah. Winning bidders must provide payment and take possession of their dog house/cat structure at the completion of the auction.
The Big Green Bus Stops at Southern Pine
Did you see The Big Green Bus in Savannah? We sure did. As part of a Dartmouth College tradition, 13 students travel the nation promoting sustainability and living in the green. Trust us, it is hard to miss this MCI coach bus traveling down the street.
On July 12th, the bus crashed the local networking event, GreenDrinks (networking event held every second Tuesday of the month). The following day, The Big Green Bus crew and Emergent Structures teamed up to reclaim cedar wood at 223 Jones Street then popped over to Gulfstream for a visit with SCAD’s Design for Sustainability program.
However, this morning the first stop was 616 East 35th Street at Southern Pine Company of Georgia. Getting on board this bus was a trip!
City Council Member Reclaims with Southern Pine!
District 2 Savannah City Council member, Mary Osbourne, got in touch with Southern Pine last week. The window bars of her residence at Baldwin Park were being replaced and therefore destined for the landfill. Ms. Osbourne however had the sense to contact us and give these puppies a chance at a new life. She saw the potential of reuse, yeah! Thanks to her, Southern Pine Company will repurpose these window bars for future adaptive reuse.
Use a window bar to improve a brick wall for vines to grow. Clip pictures and memorabilia to a window bar to spice up your home decor. What do you envision these window bars to become for you?
Wood of Dreams
If you build it, they will admire. Southern Pine Company of Georgia supplies reclaimed materials that are impressive by texture, scent, tight grain, and a story. However, our clients are intuitive with reclaimed material themselves. Recently, we have received images from a Savannah local who used our materials to build his own table.
Time to get on that personal project and build yourself something out of reclaim.