The Stories we Build: Reusing Materials with Purpose

What if every brick, stone and piece of concrete carried a story – a glimpse into its history and origin. What if we treated materials with the care they deserve, salvaging not just the material, but the rich narratives they hold.

In the design world, it is easy to overlook the potential that reusable materials have simply because they may not meet the technical demands of new structures. Even though this may be true, there is an opportunity: these materials are perfectly suitable for landscapes. Whether it be turning bricks into pathways or repurposing concrete into pavers, landscapes offer a new life for materials that would otherwise be destined for waste.

Unlike demolition, deconstruction is an act of care—a process that identifies, preserves, and connects materials with relevant projects that need them. An important question to ask is: how do we deconstruct with intention? How do we treat materials with respect, preserving their ability for reuse and keeping their stories alive? The answers lie in reevaluating how we source and design projects, ensuring that every project has a meaningful legacy. By establishing clearer pathways for suppliers and designers to access and share materials, we unlock endless possibilities to implement both creativity and sustainability into our landscapes.

When we choose to reuse materials, we aren’t just engaging sustainable practices -- we are embracing history and adding depth to our designs. Each piece of reusable material brings its own characters, its own story, and its own narrative that is a contribution to the site. A landscape that is built with reused materials isn’t just a landscape; it’s a conversation between past, present, and future.