Creative Opportunities: Making Old Things New

Friday, April 5, 2013 8:04 PM by Betty Brennan in Design and Planning


“The greenest thing of all is not to buy or create something new, but to give new life to something that already exists.” – Laurie Faber

Laurie Faber is a co-founder of elise green™ (formerly Greenhouse Design Studio), a haven for information on green living, decorating, and design based in Northern California. The company encourages the ‘green home’ offering tips for small changes that can make a big impact. In addition they also sell a range of great one-of-a-kind, vintage and reclaimed items for the home.

Faber’s quote got me thinking—as designers we are constantly challenged to bring something new and fresh to the table—how can working with what already exists provide an exciting constraint as we create?

We are currently developing a Community Experience Plan (CEP) for our local Rantoul home. One of the ideas proposed is to use elements of the old Chanute Air Force Base buildings in creating an outdoor community space. For example, when the large White Hall gets dismantled, we are proposing to use the existing stone doorframes to create a ‘doorways to the past’ sculpture park. This instillation would provide natural walking pathways that would be incorporated in to the footprint of the building that once existed and provide historical interpretation throughout. It is also being proposed that a large exterior wall be salvaged to create an outdoor amphitheater and projection space, a venue that could serve many purposes— hosting bands, speakers, movie nights, or anything else that the community dreams up!

Finding creative opportunities to make use of the things that already exist is an exciting challenge. What will you do with the resources you have available?

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