Juniper Design + Build
A 19th century house on Peaks Island will be taken apart piece by piece to save architecturally significant features.
Updated: May 18, 2023
On Peaks Island, 'deconstructing' a house whose parts are more valuable than the whole
Juniper Design + Build
"Deconstruction" work at the Peaks Island house.
We occasionally write about buildings getting the wrecking ball in the Real Estate Insider.
But here’s a demolition project that is being termed a “deconstruction,” a piece-by-piece dismantling of a historic house on Peaks Island. The pieces will be saved for other projects that need a historic touch.
Juniper Design + Build, which is based on Peaks Island in Portland, is working with a Baltimore nonprofit, Second Chance, which developed a process of carefully saving and preserving architectural components. The revenue it generates from selling the architectural elements is used to fund a full-time, paid training program for participants who have experienced barriers to employment, such as incarceration.
Juniper Design + Build
Flooring stacked after being salvaged from a Peaks Island "deconstruction" project.
“Many of these trainees have experienced significant barriers to employment, including a criminal background, but we think every person willing to work and grow deserves a second chance,” said Mark Foster, founder and president of Second Chance.
Juniper Design + Build plans to use the Peaks Island site for ground-up construction of a high-efficiency home.
But first, the firm will work with Second Chance to “deconstruct” the 19th-century cottage at 38 Centennial St. While the building could not be saved, Juniper Design + Build and the homeowners recognized that many of the architectural components could get a "Second Chance," so to speak. The deconstruction of the cottage is scheduled from May 15-26, and is expected to take 10 days, compared to a typical one- to two-day demolition.
“The homeowners are very concerned about the environment and using sustainable methods,” said Heather Thompson, Juniper Design + Build’s co-founder and general manager. “They wanted to donate their home to Second Chance so they could repurpose and reuse valuable building materials while reducing waste.”
This is only the fifth deconstruction of a home in Maine by Second Chance, and the first on a Maine island.
“Working on an island has its own unique challenges since everything needs to be shipped by ferry, not to mention finding lodging for all the workers,” said Foster.
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