As Austinites seek innovative approaches to sustainability in the built environment, Preservation Austin and AIA Austin are proud to present a discussion panel exploring house relocation, deconstruction, and material reuse.
Celebrating the recent release of “House Relocation: A Practical Guide for Austin, Texas,” this program will feature local experts evaluating tools for the circular reuse of residential structures. In response to measurable losses in our city’s historic residential fabric and the impacts of demolition, panelists will provide a better understanding of the economic, environmental, and preservation benefits of relocation and deconstruction practices.
This course has been approved to fulfill (2 LU/HSW) AIA Continuing Education credits.
“House Relocation: A Practical Guide for Austin, Texas” by Sarah Gamble
This guide explores house relocation as a tool for the circular reuse of residential structures within Austin’s central neighborhoods and beyond. This guide provides an overview of the relocation process to shape a better understanding of the practice and promote its use for economic, environmental, and preservation benefits. Written in response to measurable losses in Austin’s historic residential fabric and the impacts of demolition, this guide is written for Austin residents, property owners, developers, and design and construction professionals to provide the information needed to consider a project of their own.
This guide was supported by a grant from Preservation Austin in 2021. Our Grants Program offers financial support to a wide breadth of heritage-based projects across our city—click HERE to learn more and to apply for a grant. Click the link below to view and download the guide.
Speaker Bios
Sarah Gamble is an architect and educator with a passion for the public realm. At the University of Florida, she teaches design studios and lecture courses on urban and community issues and will direct the new Certificate in Community Design launching in 2024. Her research focuses on community design and the ways designers engage, collaborate, and communicate with the public. Sarah co-authored Environmental Activism by Design with UT Austin’s Coleman Coker, published in April 2023.
Kathy Robinson has enjoyed several careers leading to her current role with The ReUse People focused on diverting building materials from the landfill. After 10 years in real estate appraisal, she worked in the City of Austin energy conservation programs and became interested in green building. After 21 years with the City (primarily in IT) she turned her attention to sustainability, green building, and deconstruction, which led to the opportunity with TRP to do something meaningful to benefit the city she loves. Since launching the program in Austin eight years ago, she has facilitated nearly 130 projects consisting of full and partial deconstruction and house relocation projects.
Julie Levy grew up on a farm in South Texas where she learned the value of making full use of resources at hand. She has worked for non profits, moved and remodeled old buildings, worked as a realtor, and is currently about to complete a master of social work degree. Throughout her adult life, she has embodied the belief that reinvention is a natural progression for all things, including the 1904 train depot she moved from Granger, Texas to east Austin where she lives with her husband François Levy, AIA.