A day-long symposium focusing on the process and benefit of historic architectural salvage was held Saturday, Nov. 8, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Art Building West, 141 N. Riverside Dr. on the University of Iowa campus.

Visit here for more information. Those interested can also visit the Friends of Historic Preservation (Iowa City) website for more information.

Topics included the following:

• The process and benefit of historic architectural salvage
• Why and how historic structures are being salvaged
• How recycling of historic elements reduces waste and saves the embodied energy
• How to identify architectural features and the best uses for salvaged materials in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
• Historic preservation concerns of salvage
• Why salvage and demolition should be considered a last resort to preservation
• Basic steps for a successful salvage operation, the skills needed, and tangible benefits for communities
• The 109 River Street, Iowa City salvage project and other examples in Iowa and the Midwest

Bob Yapp, president of Preservation Resources, Inc., gave the keynote address, “Architectural Salvage: The Ultimate Recycling.” Other speakers included:

• Marlys Svendsen, historic project specialist, Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Department, Preservation Planning Consultant at Svendsen Tyler, Inc.: "Helping Communities Recover Historic Treasures from Natural Disasters."
• Paula Mohr, Ph.D., architectural historian & preservationist, State Historical Society of Iowa: "Tools for Preservation"
• Daniel Oswald, coordinator of deconstruction and energy efficient retrofits at Iowa Central Community College: "Deconstruction and Historic Salvage"
• Rod Lehnertz, University of Iowa Facilities Management director of Planning, Design & Construction and University Architect: "The Role of Historic Salvage in the University of Iowa’s Flood Recovery"
• Charlie Vinz, director of Production and Sales at the Chicago-based Rebuilding Exchange: "Innovation in Building Material Waste: Reuse and Recycling"